Melania Trump's Official Portrait Gets Slammed By Photoshop Critics: 'Looks Like AI'

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Sometimes too good is too good to be true — and that's the claim being made of Melania Trump's powerful official White House portrait. The visually striking image depicts Melania in stark black and white as she wears a black and white suit and leans forward with both hands pressed against a desk, looking as if she's ready to host a reboot of "The Apprentice." Fox News reported that the photograph was taken by Régine Mahaux on January 21, 2024 with the two-time first lady posing in the Yellow Oval Room, according to a statement from her office. But as soon as the image was released, rumors about Melania's altered appearance began to spread.

Official portrait of First Lady Melania Trump pic.twitter.com/RgTqqKae4h

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 27, 2025

Even with documentation of when and where and by whom, the internet was immediately skeptical that the image was real. As one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted, "[Is] this for real? Looks 100% like they asked AI to draw it." Another user was sure that some digital touchups were made, posting, "I'm not saying [it] looks bad, but it looks like someone ran a basic Photoshop filter over it." The accusations stem from some thinking the photo looks too perfect, specifically the flawless nature of Melania's face, with another X user posting, "That face...I don't know if that's a mask or makeup or digital application." We have seen Melania nearly makeup free before, so we can say with full confidence that she is definitely wearing makeup in the photo. And while many internet speculators were sure that a computer made such a compelling image, others were smitten, with one user enthusiastically writing, "That portrait screams confidence! Love the classic black-and-white vibe—totally chic!"

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While this may be one of the first times Melania is facing accusations of artificial intelligence reworking her appearance, she has come up against plenty of rumors about undergoing plastic surgery. In 2017, plastic surgeon Dr. Franklin Rose told Life & Style, "Melania's forehead is as smooth as a baby's rear end, so she's had liberal amounts of Botox for sure." And while it was reported that Dr. Rose did not personally treat Melania, he went on to add, "I suspect she has Botox injected on a regular basis (every three months), as her eyebrows are arched and she has no lines indicating her age in her forehead or at her crows feet." Keep in mind that Melania is also married to the man who loves a pit stop at the cosmetic surgeon, with Donald Trump not sparing any expense for himself.

It's hard for Melania to completely shoot down rumors considering there are throwback photos of her looking like a completely different person. Still, Melania went on the record with Allure, saying, "No. I don't get any Botox — even though it's been reported elsewhere that I've had Botox done," before adding definitively, "I'd never do anything on my face or my body." However, in the age of artificial intelligence and digital retouching, we can't help but wonder if Melania wouldn't mind an invisible robot algorithm doing a little work on a real life photo of her. Feels like a convenient loophole.