Trump Responds to Viral Image Circulating: 'This Was Photoshopped'
Color President Donald Trump angry after critics mocked him for a picture that appears to show the president with a well-defined line between his natural skin color and a deeper tan that covers most of his face.
A photo circulating on Twitter that was supposedly taken Friday at the South Lawn of the White House shows Trump with his hair blown back to reveal the difference in skin tone.
@realDonaldTrump returns to the White House from Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by William Moon at the South Lawn of the White House on February 7, 2020 pic.twitter.com/n1a1Z93LrJ
— White House Photos (@photowhitehouse) February 7, 2020
Trump denounced the image.
“More Fake News. This was photoshopped, obviously, but the wind was strong and the hair looks good? Anything to demean!” Trump tweeted.
More Fake News. This was photoshopped, obviously, but the wind was strong and the hair looks good? Anything to demean! https://t.co/t8ptYMCYHf
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2020
The account that first published the image argued back.
This picture was never photoshopped, but used the Apple smartphone’s photo app to adjust the color of the picture.
— White House Photos (@photowhitehouse) February 8, 2020
The photo caused a buzz on Twitter.
“Here’s a pic of Trump wearing make-up lol at him,” is one helluva a take. Everyone on TV wears make-up, even men, and yes make-up improves your looks! Mike Cernovich, author of Gorilla Mindset, is pro-make-up!
— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) February 8, 2020
The face ISN’T photoshopped. Here’s what it looks like when I photoshop OUT your orange spray paint job. pic.twitter.com/7VbDepzpqG
— Andrew Wortman (@AmoneyResists) February 8, 2020
Tremendous hair!
But we’d love you even if you were bald. The hateful left can’t change that. ❤️??
— Steph (@steph93065) February 8, 2020
If Trump were to wear makeup, he would follow in a long line of presidents who do, including his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.
In 2009, Allure interviewed Lois Cassano, who had done the makeup for presidents from Richard Nixon through George W. Bush before making up Obama.
She said Obama used makeup to “even out his skin tone.”
She said presidents know they need makeup because of their public role.
“Anyone who has ever seen himself on television without makeup will never do that again. Presidents understand that being made up is part of the job,” she said.
She said that makeup, for a president, must be subtle.
“All of our presidents have been men. And when you make up a man, particularly when you make up a president, you don’t want the makeup to be noticeable. Presidents spend a lot of time out among the voters, connecting with people, and his makeup has to be light enough so that no one thinks, ‘Oh my God. What is with this guy?'” she said.
HuffPost writer Dana Oliver gushed over Obama’s makeup in 2013, amid debate over whether he used bronzer for his inauguration to begin his second term.
“CNN commentators even remarked that ‘[President Obama] looks five years younger,'” Oliver wrote. “And while the editors here at HuffPost Style debated over how exactly did Obama achieve such a golden visage (Did his makeup artist try a different contouring and bronzer technique? Or did he take a [sic] hour out of his busy schedule to treat himself to a facial?), we’ve gotta admit that he’s never looked better. And we’ll note that the use of bronzer on men is not uncommon when it comes to HD camera coverage, especially in the colder winter months. Whatever it is, it’s really working for him.”
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