Donald Trump is adopting fresh tactics to obscure his growing physique.
The 80-year-old former president has been subjected to relentless online derision for months, with no sign of relief.
The politician has long controlled his public image, but he may have reached a pivotal moment in his quest to sustain the aura of presidential composure.
The administration can orchestrate the perfect press meeting by conspicuously hiding the elderly leader behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, and inevitably something will still go wrong.
The POTUS may drift off to sleep, stand with a vacant gaze toward the press, or perhaps someone behind him will stumble, or he might make up words, lose his train of thought, or abruptly have the room cleared.
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Those moments would have seemed unlikely under previous administrations. Unfortunately for the former reality TV star, cameras have captured him in each of those missteps, and then some.
His image sinks even lower once he steps away from the White House.
Harsh full-body photos, videos, and close-up shots leave little room for Trump to hide his flaws — with his steady weight gain among the most conspicuous.
The Republican aimed to leave a strong impression on lawmakers invited to his Rose Garden remarks on September 2.
Instead, onlookers were startled by a subtle wardrobe tweak. He wore a blue suit, as is customary for the office, matched with a white collared shirt, a blue tie, and formal shoes.
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The administration has pushed back on numerous claims but has been notably quiet on Trump’s alleged bathroom concerns. The humiliating jokes resurfaced as his weight continued to climb.
A third heckler quipped, “Funny how he never buttons up his jacket. I wonder why that is.” A reply suggested Trump’s cognitive decline might be to blame.
The president had previously boasted about acing a test designed to measure thinking, memory, and reasoning abilities. That boast fed speculation that forgetfulness could be a sign of dementia.
However, just last month, cameras captured Trump fiddling with a jacket button that he seemed unable to secure. Spectators were convinced he was trying to keep it closed to cover his bloated midsection.
In earlier years, people teased him for wearing jackets that were too small. At a July rally in Georgia, viewers saw his arms crumple the fabric into tight folds.
Regardless of appearances, Trump is likely to proclaim that he has made “America hot again” and that the White House has never housed a healthier president.
