President Donald Trump retweeted an unflattering photo of himself on Saturday, complaining that the post was intended to “demean” him — but insisted his “hair looks good.”
He shared a black and white version of an image which was trending on Twitter under the hashtag “Orange Face.” The original colour photo appears to show a bright orange makeup or tan or spray-tan line around Trump’s face as the wind blows his hair back upon his return to the White House from North Carolina on Friday.
Trump insisted the image had been “photoshopped, obviously” to demean him, and called it “more fake news.” But, he wrote, “the hair” looked good.
The image was originally posted by William Moon on the unverified Twitter account “White House Photos.” Moon is an apparent Trump fan based on his social media presence, and he describes himself as a White House correspondent, though it’s not clear where he publishes. He is not associated with the White House nor with the White House News Photographers Association, but does post photos from open press events, according to Vox.
According to an accompanying tweet, Moon noted that the image was “never photoshopped,” but that the colour was adjusted using Apple smartphone’s photo app. Moon later told BuzzFeed that the “sunset was reflected on the president’s face and hair.” The black and white version that Trump posted does appear to have been altered to further emphasise the contrasting tones on Trump’s face.
Moon’s original photo, however, is similar to photos taken by both Associated Press (below) and Getty Images, that also clearly show a line around the president’s face. But the colour in those photos is more subdued, and Trump’s hair appears whiter.
Another post from Moon also isn’t quite so orange.
Trump has faced scrutiny for “the hair” in the past, especially in the wind, like here when he mounted the steps of Air Force One for a trip in 2017. The criticism seems to have struck a nerve, leading him to focus on his windswept hair in Moon’s photo.
Unsurprisingly, Moon’s tweet launched a flood of memes and comments.