Former US president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump has once again taken aim at American media, this time on his social media platform, Truth Social. In a recent post on Friday, Trump accused the media of disseminating false information about him.
The post featured four photos of Trump mid-swing while playing golf. One of the images, purportedly published by an unnamed US outlet, depicted Trump with a bulging midsection, giving the appearance of being overweight. However, the other three images, allegedly taken on the same day, showed Trump looking significantly slimmer and more fit.
In his post, Trump condemned what he referred to as “Fake News,” alleging that AI technology was used to manipulate the image portraying him as overweight. “These are despicable people, but everyone knows that,” Trump wrote. He further explained that the other photos showcased him playing golf that day to illustrate the difference. Notably, Trump’s representatives did not respond to media requests for comment on the matter.
The timing of Trump’s criticism towards the media remains unclear. However, fact-checking site Snopes shed light on the origins of the manipulated photo. According to Snopes, the image surfaced on social media in May 2017 and was not originally published by any news outlet. It was created using Photoshop and featured professional golfer and longtime Trump supporter John Daly, with Trump’s head superimposed onto Daly’s body. The picture circulated on social media platforms, sparking discussions about the then-president’s health.
This incident adds to a pattern of Trump’s photos being digitally altered and used by social media pranksters. In 2022, an image depicting Trump with a pronounced double chin and deep facial wrinkles gained traction on Facebook before being debunked as digitally altered.
Coincidentally, Trump’s post featuring the doctored image came amidst a significant legal development. On the same day, a New York judge ruled against Trump, prohibiting him from running his businesses in the state and ordering him and his company to pay $354 million in damages for real estate-related bank fraud.
