An analysis of Donald Trump’s social media accounts has revealed a number of awkward photoshop fails.
The investigation was carried out by science and technology website Gizmodo, and uncovered the US President’s habit of posting altered photos of himself.
According to the publication, there have been at least three examples since October 2018 of very subtle changes being made to pictures to make Mr Trump seem slimmer.
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Take, for example, the snap below, captured by official White House photographer Tia Dufour on January 17.
The picture is publicly available on the White House Flickr page and was taken during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 100th Annual Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana.
On January 18, the same picture was posted on the Donald J. Trump Facebook page and then again on his Instagram account yesterday.
If you look closely, the president looks noticeable trimmer in the social media versions, with his face and right shoulder appearing to be slimmer, his hair neater and his fingers slightly elongated.
Mr Trump’s hands and fingers have long been a touchy subject, after journalist Graydon Carter took a swipe and described him as a “short-fingered vulgarian” in a magazine in 1988.
In 2016, the insult was revived when then-presidential rival Marco Rubio also had a dig, telling supporters: “He is taller than me, he’s like 6’ 2”, which is why I don’t understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5’ 2” … Have you seen his hands? And you know what they say about men with small hands … You can’t trust them.”
And there’s more — in one photo, originally taken by Getty Images photographer Jeff J Mitchell during Mr Trump’s June 2016 visit to Scotland, the president is seen pointing at something in the distance.
When the image was reposted on his Facebook account on October 3, 2018, his jacket appears slimmer, his hair tidier, face slimmer — and finger far longer.
And in another example, this graphic, posted on Facebook on January 19, shows the president with a flatter stomach and tighter skin, compared with the original taken on January 14 by
White House photographer Tia Dufour.
According to Gizmodo, the changes were likely made using an app such as Facetune, and are deliberately subtle.
“It’s a subtle change, but that’s the point of using an app like Facetune. The goal is to make sure that no one notices. Everyone knows what President Trump looks like, so drastic alterations are going to be obvious immediately,” reporter Matt Novak writes.
While the photos alterations might not seem so important, many have pointed out it’s a hypocritical step to take for someone who has publicly slammed “fake news” at every opportunity.
The fake president. Creating fake news.
— Roberto Lago (@RobertoLago) January 21, 2019
This is SO pitiful. It shows how weak, narcissistic & vulnerable Trump is.
He thinks the only thing that’s important is how he looks, but he’d rather photoshop than undergo plastic surgery.
Melanie is beautiful, but no one cares, cuz she’s just an empty shell. https://t.co/MYIP0YKJHJ— Jodi (@jodotcom) January 21, 2019
Trump has hair transplants, gets spray tans, and has people photoshop his pics to make his fingers longer.
Remember that next time a conservative holds him up as a pillar of strength.
— shameonyoudule (@shameonyoudule) January 21, 2019
And others have argued that the president and his staff members’ time would be better spent on big issues — like the government shutdown, trade war with China and worsening race relations — than touching up pictures on Facebook.
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