{"id":44720,"date":"2026-04-01T23:46:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T23:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=44720"},"modified":"2026-04-01T23:46:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T23:46:59","slug":"unflattering-photo-of-karoline-leavitt-removed-from-the-internet-after-reportedly-sparking-white-house-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=44720","title":{"rendered":"\u201cUnflattering\u201d photo of Karoline Leavitt removed from the internet after reportedly sparking White House concern"},"content":{"rendered":"

An image of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has unexpectedly gone viral, but not because of what it shows. Instead, it\u2019s the\u00a0removal<\/em>\u00a0of the photo that\u2019s caught everyone\u2019s attention.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The picture, taken during a Thanksgiving-themed press briefing, shows\u00a0Leavitt<\/a>\u00a0and her son as they both look down at \u201cWaddle\u201d the turkey. It was captured by AFP photographer Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, and initially passed largely unnoticed.<\/p>\n

But soon, reports emerged suggesting the White House was unhappy with the image, as it was considered \u201cunflattering.\u201d It was pulled from AFP\u2019s library and later removed from Getty Images. This raised some questions, but AFP insists the decision was entirely their own.<\/p>\n

AFP responds after removing the photo<\/h2>\n

According to AFP\u2019s Director of Communications, Gr\u00e9goire Lemarchand, the agency had been \u201cmade aware\u201d of concerns from the White House, but said there was no outside influence over the final call.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring high-volume events like White House briefings, our desk often receives a large influx of photos directly from the photographer\u2019s camera, which are moved quickly by the editor on duty to ensure timely delivery,\u201d he said, the Daily Beast reported, according to UNILAD:<\/p>\n

\u201cUpon a subsequent review of the day\u2019s production, our editor-in-chief determined that this specific image did not meet our editorial standards. The angle was poor and, more importantly, we already had a selection of superior images from the same event available on the wire.\u201d<\/p>\n

But if the goal was to quietly move on from the image\u2026 that didn\u2019t exactly happen. Once news of its removal spread, the photo took on a life of its own online. Social media users began sharing it widely, many pointing out that it had barely drawn attention before.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing makes the internet hunt for a photo faster than being told they can\u2019t see it,\u201d one user wrote, according to\u00a0VT.<\/a>\u00a0Another added: \u201cGod forbid someone from the White House should have a realistic photo taken of them.\u201d A third wrote: \u201cThe audacity these people have calling anyone a snowflake is off the charts.\u201d<\/p>\n

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