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.
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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
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