Airbrushed Pic Of Trump Tries To Hide His Biggest Insecurity But Makes It So Much Worse

We're all self-conscious about our appearance: our height, hair, teeth, muffin top, you name it. We either accept our perceived flaws or try to mask them as best as we can. Of course, not everyone is as public about it as our current president. Donald Trump's age-old insecurity — his signature hair and complexion, in case you've been asleep for the last decade — has been put on blast on numerous occasions. 

The notoriously vain POTUS does his best to tweak his image at every opportunity, apparently hoping to convince the public he's healthy, fit, and doesn't look a day over 40. To give just one example, Trump's latest White House portrait is judiciously lit, making his face look more tanned and chiseled, and his hair appears fuller than it actually is. It's an upgrade from his official inauguration portrait, which depicts his skin tone as much paler and his coif a trifle more disheveled. (On "Late Night," Seth Meyers quipped that Trump looked as though he were telling a ghost story.)

His staunch supporters are only too happy to help maintain this illusion of the perfect prez. Singer-songwriter Hadas Levy, a former contestant on "American Idol," is among them. Her Instagram feed is almost entirely dedicated to praising Trump and his policies when she's not promoting her albums. On Trump's June 15 birthday, Levy posted a series of photos showing herself posing with her own American idol. As one does, she filtered the images a bit (okay, more than a bit) to show herself and Trump to best effect. Unfortunately, this only served to highlight the very areas Trump is most sensitive about. 

Hadas Levy's pics of herself grinning with President Trump had all the hallmarks of a sloppy photo edit. As seen here, removing all hints of wrinkles from their foreheads also took out the president's beloved front hair swoop. The result: a huge bald area up front, with only a small floof of 'do sticking up above his left ear. It gave an unintended look at what Trump's actual hairline looks like; not even the softening sepia wash filter could help. The president surely wouldn't be happy to see his carefully curated illusion shattered in this way. (For her part, Levy merely looks as though she's showing off the "Mar-a-Lago face" trend to full effect.)

Donald Trump's hair transformation over the years has included varying lengths, different shades, and, rumor has it, a bit of surgical assistance to counter the effects of hair loss. Throughout it all, the president has taken great public pride in his coif. "I don't know about you, but [my hair] has to be perfect. Perfect," he told a group of Whirlpool factory workers in 2020, arguing that water-saving low-flow showers can't rinse out shampoo thoroughly enough (via CNN). 

It's not just a matter of looking good; a full head of hair has traditionally been associated with youth and virility in men. When Trump was running against Joe Biden, he positioned himself as the younger and stronger alternative, despite being fewer than four years younger. Now, presiding over the country at a time of worldwide unrest, the president needs that image more than ever. Levy's intentions may have been good when she altered her photo, but she didn't do the POTUS any favors.