The Female Members Of Donald Trump's Team Look Really Different In Throwback Photos

It's hard to recognize many of the women on President Donald Trump's team. It seems that the closer they get to Trump, the more they transform, taking on looks and styles that don't hold resemblances to their former selves. Many of these figures, from Pam Bondi to Kimberly Guilfoyle to Melania Trump herself, stir up conversations about plastic surgery. Did they or didn't they? Others, like Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Kelly Loeffler, may not spark conversations around facelifts and Botox, but they certainly look differently than they used to.

Then there's the Mar-a-Lago face trend, a type of plastic surgery that's increasingly popular amongst Trump's inner circle. It's an aesthetic style that's completely removed from reality, or any effort to look natural and age discretely. Instead, it's all about larger-than-life lips, full, apple cheeks, and ultra lifted brows. It also includes packing on tons of makeup, rocking huge blowouts, and wearing loud, bright colors. While not every woman in Trump's circle goes after this exact look, there's certainly a change that comes with being around him, a MAGA Barbie effect, if you will. Certainly these transformations could have something to do with the fact that these women are increasingly in the public eye; to be in Trump's circle means that media attention increases, and so there could be a desire to appear younger or to adhere to certain beauty standards. But whatever the case, these women look nothing like their throwback photos. 

There seems to be a transformative effect from proximity to Donald Trump, one that encompasses a more high maintenance, glamorous, even plastic appearance. This is the case with United States Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was announced as Trump's pick in November 2024, after Matt Gaetz withdrew himself from the running. Bondi, who was 59 at the time of Trump's nomination, had been a defender of the president for years. 

What's interesting is Bondi's transformation as she's become more integrated into Trump's inner sanctum. Her hair, always blonde, has become much more platinum. Her makeup, which has become heavier and bolder over the years in an effort to be age-defying, gives Bondi that unnatural finish. In fact, in one photo, we toned down Bondi's MAGA makeup and couldn't believe what we saw. The lawyer heavily uses products to mask normal signs of aging, only to look more and more like the Mar-a-Lago crew, complete with that arched eyebrow that's taking over Trump's followers. But Bondi's changed appearance is more than makeup, with many hypothesizing that she's had considerable plastic surgery done. On X, plastic surgeon Dr. Sheila Nazarian tweeted, "Pam Bondi is 59 years old. 59. Years. Old. As a plastic surgeon, I would like to shake the hand of whichever colleague of mine did that. Bravo. A medal. Wow." So Bondi's made some big changes to her appearance, like many people close to Trump. Even Gaetz sparked talk about plastic surgery after side-by-side photos show him to be completely unrecognizable.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, is a surprising figure to make a list of transformations within Donald Trump's circle, simply because she's so young. She was given the job at 27, making her the youngest press secretary to date. Clearly, the desire to look younger isn't the only motivation for the MAGA transformation, and Leavitt is proof of this. Even young people, like Leavitt, are changing their appearance to adhere to a particular Trump aesthetic, both by undergoing plastic surgery and employing other beauty practices. For instance, in April 2025, Leavitt debuted a fresh tan, and Trump should be taking notes for his bronzer game, because the president himself loves a good tan. But Leavitt's evolution goes far beyond a sun-kissed glow. 

Leavitt has already sparked rumors about alleged plastic surgery, as eagle-eyed viewers noticed that her mouth has changed. In one moment, she smiled and her lips curled up in an unnatural way, leading people to speculate that she's had enhancements done to her lips. But the speculation also includes a potential rhinoplasty as well. "What the HELL has Karoline Leavitt done with her looks?! A nose job and god knows what else. She's gone full Kardashian & not in a good way," someone noted on X, adding a throwback photo of Leavitt for comparison, where both her lips and her nose looked different. There's no denying that even the young Leavitt has changed her appearance in a few ways. 

Tulsi Gabbard, the United States Director of National Intelligence, looks notably different now that she's a part of Donald Trump's nearest and dearest. Trump chose Gabbard for the position in November 2024, when she was 43 years old. While the military officer isn't plagued by plastic surgery speculation, Gabbard has certainly changed her appearance. For one, it seems like she's taken a beauty tip out of Trump's book and gone for bronze, tanned skin. Her makeup is also much more glamorous and deliberate than the natural style that she used to wear. Her eyebrows are full, her lips lined, and her eye makeup is often heavy and dramatic. 

One of the biggest changes in Gabbard's appearance is the grey streak in her hair. Is it age or a fashion statement? There's actually a meaning behind Gabbard's trademark hair. In 2019, she took to Instagram live when someone asked if she was going to fix her hair. "No, I'm not going to fix that gray strand. I don't know what you mean by 'fix.' If you mean dye, no, I'm not going to dye it. I actually started going gray in that one spot during and after my first deployment to Iraq. And so I keep it as just a remembrance of those who we lost there and the cost of war and why we fight so hard for peace," she said, (via CNN). That's a pretty solid reason.   

Linda McMahon can't escape plastic surgery speculation. The United States Secretary of Education and former professional wrestling promoter was confirmed for the position in March 2025 when she was 76 years old. Ever since she came back into the spotlight — she was active with the WWE from the 1980s to the early 2000s — she can't get away from talk and rumors that she's had extensive work done. On X, one user wrote in September 2024, "Also, Linda McMahon has had her entire face replaced via plastic surgery. I didn't even recognize her." She's certainly changed her appearance." 

On Reddit, McMahon has also stirred up conversations about her changed look. In April 2024, someone posted a picture of her in the group r/OSWReview and called it the "Zombie Linda Sighting." Another fan commented, "How does she look exactly the same? Maybe she actually is undead." Someone else replied, "Lots of Botox and face lifts." On another Reddit group, r/prowrestling, someone else asked, "What the heck is going on with Linda?" They followed this up by saying, "Last time I saw her she looked nothing like this... Completely unrecognizable. Not shaming in any way but it was jarring. I didn't know it was her." McMahon certainly does look different — even slightly unrecognizable — since joining Trump's world. There's the possibility of plastic surgery, but also bold eye makeup, big lashes, and that signature Trump bronzer glow. 

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who serves as the United States secretary of labor as of this publication, was 57 when she took the position. While Chavez-DeRemer doesn't fall into the Mar-a-Lago face category of those close to Donald Trump, she looks notably different in throwback photos. On her Instagram, Chavez-DeRemer is fond of posting photos from her past, giving followers a glimpse of her previous style. In one post, she shared a picture of herself with her daughters and wrote: "National Daughter Day!!! I have loved all 29 years." In the photo, Chavez-DeRemer's style is casual and down-to-earth. She wears jeans and a white, collared shirt with short hair while standing with her children. In another post, she celebrated her relationship with husband, Shawn DeRemer. The touching tribute shows one photo of Chavez-DeRemer wearing braces, another photo of their wedding day, and other fun shots, but the common denominator is that the secretary of labor isn't a candidate for the MAGA Barbie aesthetic. She's too unassuming for that style, and it clearly isn't her thing. 

However, Chavez-DeRemer still looks different since her Trump transformation. She wears her hair much longer, as is typical of the women in Trump's inner circle. She wears statement glasses, goes for heavier makeup, and dons sleeker work attire. She wears statement blazers and bolder looks; clearly, Chavez-DeRemer is more image-conscious than she appeared to be in her throwback photos.   

Kelly Loeffler, the United States Administrator of the Small Business Administration, took the position in February 2025 when she was 54 years old. Prior to that, she was a Senator from Georgia. While she might look glamorous now that she's in Donald Trump's world, Loeffler started out as a farm girl. She grew up in Illinois and was raised on her family's corn and soybean farm, before working her way into politics. In throwback photos that she frequently posts on Instagram, Loeffler often harks back to this simple farm life. For National Farmer's Day, she shared a photo of herself handling livestock, wearing jeans and rubber boots. "Proud to be a farmer's daughter (and sister and aunt)...and to carry my farm-raised values with me every single day!" she wrote in the caption. Nothing could be farther from her style now. 

Those rubber boots and practical pieces are long gone for Loeffler, and she's largely put her agricultural style behind her. Since hitching her wagon to Trump, Loeffler has gotten much more glamorous. A scan through her Instagram shows that Loeffler sports big, blonde blowouts and has packed up her jeans and plaid shirts in exchange for slick pantsuits and dresses with heels. Her polished, done-up style — including lashes and heavy makeup — is much too fancy for farm life now. 

Of all of the women in Donald Trump's circle, Kimberly Guilfoyle might be the most unrecognizable in throwback photos, and has become the pinnacle of Mar-a-Lago face. Guilfoyle is unrecognizable in old modeling photos before her rumored plastic surgery. In fact, she's so changed that Guilfoyle really can't escape the plastic surgery speculation. The change is palpably evident. Before teaming up with Trump, Guilfoyle was married to the Democratic Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, when he was the mayor of San Fransisco. So not only has she transformed her face, she's also switched her political affiliations. 

Plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Motykie told the Daily Mail that he felt sure that Guilfoyle had gotten work done before the 2024 Republican National Convention, noting that her lips and cheeks looked much fuller. The fact that so many people in close proximity to Trump get obvious work done feels like transforming one's look is almost necessary to be a central figure in Trump's world. People on X have been ruthless about Guilfoyle's radically different look. "Kimberly Guilfoyle, another beautiful lady that destroy her face with plastic surgery....." someone tweeted. "If Kimberly Guilfoyle has any more plastic surgery, she's going to have to blink with her lips," another person noted. On top of this, Guilfoyle wears shocking amounts of makeup, and sports a brunette version of the MAGA blowout, which means hair that's almost larger than life. It seems like there isn't even an attempt to look natural.

Kristi Noem, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, is another figure who looks completely differently from her throwback photos. Prior to taking this position, she had served as the governor of South Dakota. Since assuming her new position within Donald Trump's presidency, Noem has made some striking choices. She went for the mega hair, boasting long, curled locks similar to other women within Trump's universe. She's gotten dental work done, and is surrounded by plastic surgery speculations. Her lips appear to be fuller, her skin is unrealistically taut, her makeup is always in full-glam mode, and she dresses like a Real Housewife, big hoops and all. 

For some watching this spectacle, there's a more sinister logic behind the transformations of Noem and others. "I read it as a sign of physical submission to Donald Trump, a statement of fealty to him and the idea that the surface of a policy is the only thing that matters," Anne Higonnet, an art history professor at Barnard College, told Mother Jones. "In a way, these women are performing a key part of Donald Trump's whole political persona." These radical changes are a way to step in line and show allegiance to Trump; the fact that Noem's work is obvious is part of the point. Trump himself has been accused of being detached from reality, and this surreal plastic surgery work is an aesthetic way of backing up his world view. 

Melania Trump, as the wife of Donald Trump, is arguably the center of this inner world of MAGA women, and she herself looks different from throwback photos from the late '90s, of her early days in New York when she was dating Trump and working as a model. Melania, who was 54 years old when her husband took office for the second time in 2025, sparks constant speculation about plastic surgery. Plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Linkov told the Daily Mail that Melania has likely spent around $200,000 on work, including a $50,000 face lift. He noted that Melania's cheeks look full and that her eyes have taken on a more feline shape as she's gotten older, which likely came from a brow lift. Because of the evident smoothness in her forehead and around her eyes, Dr. Linkov also speculates that Melania uses Botox. 

The infuriating part of all of this is that Melania has denied getting work done. "A lot of people say I am using all the procedures for my face," she told GQ in 2016. "I didn't do anything. I live a healthy life, I take care of my skin and my body. I'm against Botox, I'm against injections; I think it's damaging your face, damaging your nerves. It's all me. I will age gracefully, as my mom does." It may be time to pull a fact-checker in on this, because we're not buying that statement. 

Lawyer Alina Habba, the interim U.S. Attorney in New Jersey and counselor to Donald Trump in his second term as president, looks very different from earlier photos. The staunch defender of Trump has sparked a frenzy of plastic surgery speculation, as Habba stepped out in late 2024 looking completely transformed. People jumped on X to talk about Habba's changed appearance, and many comments noted how similar she looked to Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and his wife, Melania Trump, further proving the point that the MAGA face is about aesthetic (and ideological) conformity. "Alina Habba before her plastic transformation to look like a mixture of Ivanka and Melania," one person tweeted. "Is it just me or does Alina Habba look exactly like a younger Melania?" another person asked. Clearly, people are guessing that Habba changed her appearance to look more like Trump's closest women. 

Typical of many people in Trump's world, Habba's skin is preternaturally tight, her lips appear fuller, and her daytime makeup is perpetually in evening mode. Her jaw looks more defined and her cheeks have more of a hollow to them, pointing to possible buccal fat removal. "Alina Habba: oh no, I'm gonna be late for my lip filler and buccal fat removal touch ups," someone else tweeted. It's certainly not lost on anyone that there's little resemblance between the contemporary Habba and the throwback photos of her, before she became so enmeshed in Trump's world.