Joe Biden Once Sported A Trump-Like Tan In Pic With Justin Trudeau

President Donald Trump will go down in history as the man who made orange tans great again (or so he hopes, anyway). Over the years, Trump has put his blotchy tan on blast in several unflattering social media posts, but the ensuing heavy criticism hasn't deterred the divisive politician from continuing to sport his eerily tangerine glow. Former President Joe Biden, who in many aspects is Trump's polar opposite, has always paled in comparison — literally. Biden's complexion appeared even lighter when he shared a space with Trump, something many people noted during their 2024 presidential debate. 

And yet, there was once a time when Biden sported an orange complexion himself. In 2022, Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a snap of him and Biden posing next to each other on his Instagram page, and the former president looked rather, er, tangerine. He was called out again on X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2024 for not resembling his usual pale self. One detractor openly criticized Biden's "orange skin," accusing him of "becoming Trump in real time."

Biden's mistake was apparently that he didn't have an orange glow when it mattered most. Makeup artists who spoke to HuffPost pointed out that wearing too little makeup when making a televised appearance is a big mistake — especially when the public is already questioning your health, which was the case with Biden. The Democratic politician looked pale and tired during the 2024 debate, and not even Trump and Biden's messy hairstyles could distract from the latter's pallid complexion. "As the president of the U.S., there's no way Biden should've been able to go out there looking the way. It was a huge and costly snafu," makeup artist Misha Lewis told HuffPost.

If you want to measure up to Donald Trump, you better make sure you don't entirely blend into the background (aka get an orange spray tan — stat). There's been a lot of talk about the signature tawny glow that appears to have become a staple among the MAGA clan, with some even speculating that it might be a requirement to work alongside the commander in chief. Health Secretary RFK Jr. has seemingly tried to overtake Trump's embarrassing trademark tan since he entered the MAGA fold, alongside several others. Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon was seen sporting an embarrassingly fake-looking tan when he was released from prison in November 2024. Would-be attorney general Matt Gaetz also gamely adopted the orange aura. Not even Vice President JD Vance has managed to stay immune. Aside from adopting his boss's signature style, the former Ohio senator grew increasingly orange on the 2024 campaign trail too. As one X user quipped, "It's the spray tan that cemented the total transformation." 

Andrea Purse, a communications consultant and media trainer, posited to HuffPost that the orange tan is almost like a trademark at this stage. "I think all this embracing of self-tan and makeup is squarely for an audience of one: Donald Trump," she said. Makeup artist Misha Lewis noted that the president's inner circle likely can't imagine themselves looking any other way now. "I think they intentionally began to tan themselves, likely without bronzer, and liked what they saw," Lewis explained. "But then tan started to become overdone, whether real or sprayed on, and now they probably can't imagine themselves without the color in their skin." At least Joe Biden had the guts to let the orange glow go.