PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 1: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters and members of the media at Mar-a-Lago on February 1, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is attending the wedding of Dan Scavino, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, and Erin Elmore, the Department of State Director of Art in Embassies, at Mar-a-Lago. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
By Angelina
Halloween is over, but Donald Trump is still serving ghoulish looks. The White House has repeatedly called him the “most transparent” president — but they were never talking about the 79-year-old’s appearance.
That’s where social media users take over. Trump’s cabinet typically orchestrates picture-perfect photo opportunities, choosing the best lighting and editing snapshots to paint a picture of a fit and sound-minded leader, but viewers see the complete opposite.

But his team can’t seem to stop candid photos from leaking online. This proved true when Trump attended White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino’s wedding. The longtime aide and his bride, Erin Elmore, tied the knot at Mar-a-Lago on Feb. 1. Trump attended the event in a blue suit, a white button-up collar shirt, and a blue and white polka dot tie.
He looked like his usual presidential self until the public took a closer look at his appearance. His muddy, unnatural, orange hue was missing. Instead, what everyone observed in a heavily circulated picture was a shockingly pale Trump.
“Benito’s fit had more color than Formaldehyde Don,” wrote someone who unveiled a new nickname while comparing Trump’s complexion to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show costume.
The absence of vitality was jarring compared to Mr. and Mrs. Scanvino, who were almost doubled over with laughter while talking to the commander in chief. The image appeared edited to make Trump and his wisps of hair pastier than ever, but that didn’t matter to critics eager to troll him.
Hundreds of people made fun of “Trump without his orange makeup.” For instance, one heckler commented, “He looks like a sick old man; the makeup isn’t fooling anybody. He just looks like his mom with the ridiculous makeup.”
A more morbid reaction reads, “That’s a corpse.”
Some people even quipped that talcum powder, dust, death, and, of course, the camera flash were all reasonable explanations for his blown-out appearance. But the one consensus that several people landed on was that the reality TV showman is “still gross as hell.”
At least until an even closer zoom-in on Trump’s face became a buzzing topic. In the image, the senior citizen appears mid-laugh or mid-sentence with his mouth ajar, and most of his teeth are hidden by his thin lips.
At first glance, it actually looks as though he doesn’t have any teeth at all. An alarmed observer exclaimed, “What’s wrong with his teeth?!?!?!?! YIKES.” A response reads, “There aren’t any!” though others decided that Trump forgot his “dentures.”
Grooming is a responsibility that Trump takes personally. For years, it has been reported that he applies his makeup before public events, including the splotchy concealer on his bruised hands.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn’t just confirm that Trump wears makeup — he said he saw it firsthand. Speaking on the podcast “Advisory Opinions last October, Christie recalled watching his longtime political frenemy apply makeup himself while they were campaigning together, likely during the 2016 race.
“I heard him yell, ‘Chris, come here.’ So, OK. I walked back to the bedroom, and he was putting makeup on himself,” said Christie, offering a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse at the image-conscious routine behind the tough-on-camera persona.
“He does his own makeup. You might be shocked to learn,” he added about Trump.
As for pictures, Trump has proven on numerous occasions that unflattering photos and bad lighting are both attempts to sabotage his good looks.
During a January GOP retreat, he whined, “Make me look thin for a change… You’re making me look a little big and heavy; I’m not happy,” to photographers. Critics agreed that the tall ask would require a miracle.
