Donald Trump Gets Brutally Humbled After Slamming Photographers For Making Him Look Bad
Speaking to House Republicans at the Kennedy Center on January 6, 2025, President Donald Trump went on a bit of a surprise tangent, though by this point, his speeches are perhaps more tangent than they are actual speech. Recognizing a reporter in the room, Trump stopped what he was doing and said, "Uh oh, it's the fake news," according to a video posted to X, formerly Twitter. After sarcastically asking how many Pulitzer Prizes the journalist had won, Trump revealed one of his many insecurities. "These are the ones that take the pictures. Make me look thin for a change," Trump told the press, adding, "You're making me look a little bit heavy, I'm not happy about it."
BREAKING: Trump attacks news photographers for making him "look a little bit heavy."
That's not the photographers fault.
pic.twitter.com/9eNupD75Pl— Trump Lie Tracker (Commentary Account) (@MAGALieTracker) January 6, 2026
Considering just how many White House portraits Trump has had made of himself, it perhaps comes as no surprise that he takes it personally when he feels he hasn't been photographed well. It's been a recurring complaint from the president over the years, most recently with a Time Magazine cover that put his balding hair front and center; Trump called the picture "the Worst of All Time" on Truth Social.
A cavalcade of critical comments immediately humbled Trump with messages about his obesity, reminding him that you can't exactly blame a photographer for the weight of their subject. On X, the DNC account The Democrats posted unflattering images of a bloated Trump with the caption, "Not the photographers' fault." Another person concurred, writing, "They do not make Trump look heavy, he is heavy," while others referenced Trump's fondness for fast food. There were at least some compliments among the comments, sort of. "If anything he doesn't look as fat as he really is half the time. He hides it well. One of the only things he does well," one person wrote on X.
Many threw Donald Trump under the bus for his comments
Just like everyone else, Donald Trump would prefer if photos of himself turned out in a flattering light. However, his demand to appear thin when he decidedly isn't became low-hanging fruit that many grabbed at. "That's like blaming the chairs he sits in for making [him] fall asleep." commented one person on X; "They're photographers not magicians," another added. "Fat old and dying," one person wrote succinctly on X.
Others were more interested in Trump's unique color than his weight, with one person wondering, "Why do they always make him look so orange?" Another pointed out the inconsistencies in Trump's sheen, writing, "He's orange one day, and looks pale and faded the next." Trump's medical records may have revealed why he wears so much bronzer, with documents released in April 2025 noting that the president has had "well-managed rosacea" throughout his life. Then again, those are the same medical records that listed Trump's weight as 224 pounds, something social media users were quick to ridicule at the time. In fact, as one person wrote on X, "ZERO chance Trump is 224 lbs. There are photos, you know." Exactly. Hence, Trump's desperate pleas to photographers to make him appear thinner.