12 times Trump's fake tan has looked horrible and exposed shocking reality
Donald Trump's signature "orange hue" has long been a source of fascination, and the intrigue about his distinctive skin tone shows no signs of waning.
The former US president is notorious for his glowing complexion, but it wasn't always so. Observers note that Trump's tanning booth-kissed appearance became a staple only after 2012, during his time on The Apprentice, when he began to apply makeup more frequently for TV appearances and public engagements.
From then on, his orange tint became a hallmark, and by 2015, as he stepped into the political arena as a presidential hopeful, the world took a keen interest in his tanning practices. There's been plenty of speculation over the years about how Trump achieves his "orange" look.
'Fake Melania' theory sparked as critics spot four signs after odd sunglasses and cap
Donald Trump's 7-word quip to Speaker Mike Johnson about his wife
Experts agree that at times, Trump's artificial tan appears particularly vivid, with the orange intensity peaking in 2020, only to be toned down as the 2024 election approaches.
A notably poor photo from 2020 even sparked a scientific investigation. Researchers have concluded that Trump's fluctuating skin color is likely due to self-tanner rather than heavy makeup application.
A PubMed study titled 'Fake tan or fake news?' delved into the distinctive skin tone of Donald Trump, comparing it to natural and artificial tanning ranges.
"We then compared the estimated skin colours with two existing data sets of skin colours: the range of skin tans that occur naturally in the Caucasian population and the range skin colors brought about by a sunless tan. We find that Trump's skin color is close to the edge of the natural skin tan gamut and firmly within the gamut of a sunless skin tan," the study reported.
The lighter area around his eyes has been attributed by some to wearing protective goggles while tanning.
Despite this analysis, Trump's camp has consistently denied using spray tans or sunbeds. In 2019, an anonymous White House insider claimed to The New York Times, under strict anonymity, that Trump's unique hue was simply due to 'good genes.'
Despite his denials, here are 12 times when Trump's tan situation took the internet by surprise.
Trump before the tan and makeup
Tan peaks in 2020
Pressure on means tanning bed is on
Two different skin tones in court
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
South Park depicts Trump in bed with Satan and targets Paramount after inking new $1.5b deal
SOUTH PARK HAS kicked off its 27 th season with an episode that takes aim at both US President Donald Trump and the show's network partner Paramount. The season opener, Sermon on the Mount, shows Trump in bed with Satan, who is a recurring character in the show. The episode also touches on Trump's lawsuit with Paramount and the recent announcement of the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which airs on the Paramount-owned CBS. On Wednesday, South Park's creators penned a licensing agreement with Paramount worth a reported $1.5 billion. Epstein In the episode, Trump's character is asked directly by Satan about if he is on the 'Epstein list'. In a July 7 memo, the Justice Department said the Epstein 'client list' that Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed to have been reviewing did not in fact exist. Satan asks Trump if it's on the Epstein list. 'It's weird that whenever it comes up, you just tell everyone to relax,' Satan says. Satan is a recurring character in the series Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The furore around the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for trafficking minors, is still roiling Trump's administration two weeks after his Justice Department effectively closed the case, announcing there was no more information to share. Trump's ties to Epstein are extensive. The pair were pictured partying together during a 15-year friendship before they fell out in 2004 over a property deal, and when Trump subsequently denounced his former ally. Jared Moskowitz holds a photo board featuring Epstein and Trump during a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability meeting last year Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The White House has also been furiously pushing back against a Wall Street Journal report that said Trump had contributed a 'bawdy' letter with his signature for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. Paramount In addition to taking aim at Trump, the latest South Park episode criticises Paramount and its decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In the latest episode, a row erupts in the fictional South Park over the literal presence of Jesus in schools. Advertisement When the South Park parents protest to Trump that they don't want Jesus in the classroom, the cartoon-Trump threatens to sue them for $5 billion. Jesus begs them to settle and adds: 'You guys saw what happened to CBS! You really want to end up like Colbert? You guys gotta stop being stupid.' CBS is owned by Paramount, and it decided to end its long running 'Late Show' days after its host Stephen Colbert blasted Paramount's $16 million settlement with Trump as 'a big fat bribe.' Colbert is a high-profile critic of the US president and told Trump to 'go fuck yourself' after his show's cancellation. CBS has insisted that the cancellation was 'purely a financial decision.' Demonstration in front of the Late Show Ed Sullivan Theater in support of host Stephen Colbert. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Trump had sued Paramount for $20 billion last year, alleging that CBS News' '60 Minutes' news program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favour. Meanwhile, Paramount is seeking to close its $8 billion merger with the entertainment company Skydance, which needs approval from the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission. Some critics alleged that the $16 million dollar settlement and cancellation of The Late Show are attempts to curry favour with Trump ahead of the merger. Meanwhile, South Park's criticism of Paramount comes a day after it penned a deal with the company worth a reported $1.5 billion. On Wednesday, South Park Digital Studios announced it had entered into an exclusive five-year license deal with Paramount+. South Park Digital Studios is a joint venture by Paramount and South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The deal will see 50 new episodes aired on the Paramount-owned Comedy Central over five years, which will stream exclusively on Paramount+ worldwide. The entire South Park library will also be made available on Paramount+ in the US. In a post on X, Dylan Byers, a senior correspondent at US media company Puck, wrote: 'Hard to think of anything more defiant in media and entertainment recently than Trey Parker and Matt Stone going scorched earth on Paramount in a South Park season premiere on the heels of netting a $1.5 billion deal with the very same company.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Extra.ie
3 hours ago
- Extra.ie
South Park's Trump episode sparks fears of cancellation among fans
South Park is back, and creators Trey Park and Matt Stone have struck up a new five-year deal with Paramount+, but fans are concerned following the release of a brand new episode overnight. The 27th season of the hit satirical adult cartoon was pushed back following a bidding war between a number of streaming services in recent weeks. The war culminated in a deal with Paramount+ which will see all 26 previous seasons of the cartoon on their service along with 50 new episodes starting from early on Thursday morning Irish time. South Park is back, and creators Trey Park and Matt Stone have struck up a new five-year deal with Paramount+, but fans are concerned following the release of a brand new episode overnight. Pic: Comedy Central In true form of the creators, the premiere episode, Sermon on the Mount, took aim at American President Donald Trump with references to his lawsuit against Paramount as well as the services' cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The episode saw Trump striking up a relationship with series regular Satan, with the pair at one stage in bed together. 'Come on, Satan, you know you can't resist this,' Trump says as he exposes his manhood, prompting the Devil to reply: 'I can't even see anything because it's so small.' The episode saw Trump striking up a relationship with series regular Satan, with the pair at one stage in bed together. Pic: Comedy Central The episode concluded with an AI-version of the American President wandering through the desert naked. Again, the 79-year-old was exposed, with his private area having googly eyes and able to talk. 'I'm Donald J. Trump and I endorse this message!' the penis said. Viewers took to social media in their droves following the premiere episode, with many full of praise for Matt and Trey, while others were quick to point out that Paramount bosses were probably not too happy. Trey Parker and Matt Stone getting a billion from Paramount and then dropping this. Great stuff.#SouthPark — Kevin Wozniak (@kevflix) July 24, 2025 One wrote: 'The creators of South Park don't give a f*** and I love that so much. Paramount has gotta be so p**sed.' Another said: 'South Park making the most of their free speech before it gets sued away from them.' A third shared: 'Trey Parker and Matt Stone getting a billion from Paramount and then dropping this. Great stuff. #SouthPark. South Park is available to watch in Ireland via Paramount+ Ireland.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
EU pushing to cap future tariffs on pharma in US deal
The European Union is pushing for any future tariffs on pharmaceutical products sold to the United States to be capped at a blanket 15 per cent rate, in ongoing trade negotiations with US President Donald Trump's administration. Pharmaceutical products have emerged as one potential sticking point in intense EU-US negotiations to land a tariff agreement in the next eight days. The latest outline of a possible deal – the shape of which has changed several times over recent weeks – would see the EU agree to accept tariffs of 15 per cent being charged on most goods sold to the US. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm negotiating for the 27-state bloc, is pushing to have tariffs on pharmaceutical products and cars capped at that level. READ MORE Negotiators for the Trump administration want possible trade levies on pharmaceuticals to be dealt with separately, leaving the door open to the sector facing significantly higher import duties. The fate of pharmaceuticals in any tariff deal has been a key concern of the Government. The industry accounts for the vast majority of the Republic's huge flow of trade across the Atlantic, due to the large number of US pharma giants with manufacturing plants in Ireland. [ Pharma companies unprepared for production shift amid US tariffs Opens in new window ] To date the sector has not been hit with any tariffs, which are effectively taxes on imports. Though Mr Trump has repeatedly said hefty levies are coming, as a way to force drugmakers to relocate manufacturing capacity and jobs to the US. There is some optimism inside the commission that a EU-US deal could be done in the coming days. However, sources in both Dublin and Brussels stressed the unpredictable nature of the talks, which could equally run right up to an August 1st deadline set by Mr Trump, or beyond. Most European businesses have faced US tariffs of 10 per cent since early April, with Mr Trump levelling higher rates of 25 per cent on imports of cars, and a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. How will the updated National Development Plan shape Ireland in years to come? Listen | 35:59 The outline of a potential deal being hammered out could see tariffs on EU-made cars brought down to 15 per cent, in what would be a bit of a reprieve for Germany's large automobile industry. It is understood existing tariffs on steel may be dealt with separately, possibly through some workaround such as a quota system, to lessen the impact of the US import duties. Several sources briefed on the ongoing negotiations said a 15 per cent tariff on most EU products sold to the US appeared largely settled between the two sides. [ EU backs potential counter-tariffs on €93bn of US goods if no deal Opens in new window ] Much of the recent focus of talks between officials has been on specific sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, cars, steel, and semiconductors. Any negotiated agreement would be subject to a final sign off by Mr Trump. Some European industries would be exempt from US tariffs, with aircraft, spirits and some medical devices believed to be in the frame to be spared, according to several sources. Both sides were close to a deal earlier this month, before Mr Trump instead threatened to triple existing tariffs charged on EU trade to 30 per cent from August 1st. European governments have been keen to agree some type of bare bones trade agreement with the US, to avoid the prospect of those higher tariffs kicking in.
