# Unflattering Donald Trump > Unflattering Donald Trump is a 2016 photoshop meme built on humorously timed photographs of Trump that he complained about, spawning thousands of remixed versions across social media. Unflattering Donald Trump is a meme built around humorously timed photographs of Donald Trump that reportedly annoyed him, which users then gleefully spread and photoshopped across social media. The trend kicked off in late November 2016 after reports surfaced that Trump had complained about unflattering photos of himself to television executives. What started as a Streisand Effect moment quickly turned into a full-blown photoshop meme, with thousands of remixed versions flooding Twitter and Reddit. ## Origin On November 21, 2016, the news site Politico reported that Trump had complained to television executives and anchors during an off-the-record meeting at Trump Tower about "photos of himself that NBC used that he found unflattering"[4]. The complaint was attributed to an unnamed source who attended the gathering. Three days later, on November 24, 2016, musician Charles Johnson posted one of Trump's unflattering photographs to Twitter with the message: "I hear Donald Trump really hates this photo: So make sure not to retweet it. Ever." The reverse psychology worked exactly as intended. Within one week, Johnson's tweet picked up over 29,100 retweets and 16,400 likes[4]. - **Platform:** Twitter (viral spread), Politico (triggering report) - **Creator:** Charles Johnson (musician, original viral tweet) - **Date:** 2016 ## Overview The meme centers on a set of photographs of Donald Trump taken at unflattering angles, particularly profile shots that emphasize the subcutaneous fat beneath his chin. After news broke that Trump was bothered by such images, internet users did what they do best: shared the photos as widely as possible and created countless photoshopped edits. The most iconic image is a side-profile shot that became the basis for hundreds of remixes, comparisons to animals, and absurd digital alterations[4]. ## How It Spread The meme spread fast once Johnson's tweet went viral. On November 25, Twitter user @PixMichelle posted several unflattering Trump photographs along with the hashtag "#TrumpleChin"[4]. The next day, Twitter user @Marmel placed a Trump profile photograph next to a photo of a pelican, drawing an unflattering comparison that earned more than 12,600 retweets and 10,900 likes within four days[4]. On November 28, 2016, Andy Lassner, Executive Producer of The Ellen Show, tweeted the Trump profile photograph and urged his followers to retweet it[4]. That same day, the photo hit Reddit when user LZMRaul posted it to r/photoshopbattles, inviting the community to go wild with digital edits. The post pulled in over 17,200 votes and 1,700 comments in 24 hours, spawning dozens of creative photoshopped variations[4]. The Poke highlighted some of the best edits, including comparisons to a Vogon from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and described the situation as "a terrible film that lasts for four years"[1]. Multiple news outlets covered the photoshop meme in the following days, with Crave publishing a roundup of the best edits[2] and Uproxx covering the viral photo's spread[3]. ## How to Use The Unflattering Donald Trump meme typically works in a few ways: 1. **Streisand Effect sharing** — Post one of the unflattering photos with a caption like "Don't share this" or "Trump hates this photo, so please don't retweet" 2. **Side-by-side comparisons** — Place a Trump photo next to something it resembles (animals, fictional characters, food items) 3. **Photoshop edits** — Take the iconic profile shot and digitally alter it into absurd scenarios, movie posters, album covers, or other visual jokes 4. **Hashtag use** — Tag posts with #TrumpleChin or similar hashtags when sharing unflattering angles ## Cultural Impact The meme is a textbook example of the Streisand Effect, where attempts to suppress something only amplify its reach. Trump's private complaint to media executives, once leaked to Politico, turned what would have been forgettable photos into a viral event[4]. The r/photoshopbattles thread alone produced enough creative edits to fuel news coverage across multiple outlets[2]. The Ellen Show's executive producer joining in gave the trend mainstream visibility beyond typical internet meme circles[4]. ## Fun Facts - Charles Johnson's original tweet used classic reverse psychology, telling people not to retweet the photo, which predictably backfired in Trump's favor of virality[4] - The Poke compared the prospect of a Trump presidency to "a terrible film that lasts for four years"[1] - The r/photoshopbattles post was only 65% upvoted despite its massive engagement, suggesting the topic was divisive even on Reddit[4] - The entire meme exists because of an off-the-record meeting that someone leaked to the press[4] ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Unflattering Donald Trump? Unflattering Donald Trump is a meme based on humorously angled photographs of Donald Trump that went viral after reports that he was bothered by such images[4]. ### Where did Unflattering Donald Trump come from? The meme originated in November 2016 after Politico reported that Trump complained to TV executives about unflattering photos NBC had used of him[4]. ### What does Unflattering Donald Trump mean? The meme plays on the Streisand Effect. Trump's reported discomfort with certain photos motivated thousands of people to share and remix those exact images as a form of mockery[4]. ### How do you use Unflattering Donald Trump? Users share unflattering Trump photos with ironic captions, create photoshop edits, or place them in side-by-side comparisons with animals and fictional characters[1]. ### Is Unflattering Donald Trump still popular? The specific 2016 viral moment peaked within about a week, though unflattering Trump photos still get shared on social media, especially during political events[4]. ### Who started the Unflattering Donald Trump meme? Musician Charles Johnson is credited with igniting the trend by tweeting one of the photos on November 24, 2016, with a message daring people not to retweet it[4]. ### What is #TrumpleChin? #TrumpleChin is a hashtag created by Twitter user @PixMichelle on November 25, 2016, used to collect and share unflattering profile shots of Trump[4]. ### What role did Reddit play in the meme? Reddit's r/photoshopbattles community produced hundreds of creative edits after user LZMRaul posted the photo on November 29, 2016, with the thread drawing over 17,200 votes[4]. ## References 1. [Mandatory - Laugh. Learn. Do Some Good.]() 2. [People have been having a lot of fun with this deeply unflattering picture of Donald Trump - The Poke]() 3. [UPROXX – Music Television and Culture]() 4. [Unflattering Donald Trump - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/unflattering-donald-trump Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library