Melania Trump has famously stated that she doesn’t “give a f--k about the Christmas stuff,” but during her time as First Lady, she’s had to embrace the holiday season and all of its associated duties. However, this Christmas marks her final one in the White House, meaning she won’t have to put on a smile and pretend to enjoy the decorations and festivities much longer.
This year, Melania has taken a more traditional approach to the holiday decorations, managing to avoid criticism. But it's her final Christmas portrait with husband Donald that has sparked a bit more attention.
On December 18th, Melania shared a photo of herself and the president standing by the grand staircase in the White House, both dressed in matching tuxedos. The image is a simple and relatively inoffensive choice for their official Christmas portrait. However, online detectives have noticed something unusual in the photo.
The first signs of controversy were reported by InStyle, as some believe President Trump might have been photoshopped into the picture. The accusations point to a photograph of the couple from a meeting with Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in June 2019. In this earlier photo, Trump appears to be wearing the same tuxedo and striking a nearly identical pose.
Merry Christmas from President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. @realDonaldTrump & @FLOTUS are seen December 10, in their official 2020 Christmas portrait,on the Grand staircase of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) pic.twitter.com/PA63RYGSKE
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) December 18, 2020
However, upon closer inspection, there are some minor differences between the two photos, such as the visibility of his shirt cuffs. It’s entirely possible that this is the same tuxedo, as Trump is known for his distinctive stance. It’s likely that these accusations are a stretch, but some remain skeptical.
Dylan Reeve, a television editor and post-production supervisor, spoke to the Daily Dot about the image, suggesting that the photo may appear odd to some because it has been “heavily touched up.” He noted that the lighting throughout the image is consistent, which is difficult to replicate convincingly in Photoshop. “The floor reflection is consistent too,” he added. “Something I think people would likely mess up if they were faking it.”
This isn’t the first time the Trumps’ Christmas photos have been under scrutiny. In 2018, a similar accusation was made regarding that year’s portrait, with critics suggesting the image had been heavily edited due to noticeable blurring. However, the photographer responsible for that photo debunked the claims.
So, there you have it. While some photos may indeed be edited, it's also possible that sometimes people simply wear the same outfits more than once.
