President Trump choreographs photos so they don't show his double chin, reports Kenneth T. Walsh, a veteran White House correspondent for U.S. News and World Report. Walsh makes the assertion in his forthcoming book, Ultimate Insiders, on the history of White House photography.
"It's clear that for many years Trump has sought to create and enhance an image of being a larger-than-life leader," Walsh says, which involves staging "his appearances as much as possible to minimize photos of him from the front at a low angle or from the sides, because he thought his double chin became too obvious."
The president's efforts to control his photo ops also stem from his conviction that the media treats him unfairly, Walsh writes. Photojournalists are as suspect as other reporters, so Trump has at times been wary about allowing access to more intimate or casual moments with family and friends.
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Ultimate Insiders chronicles the photography of previous administrations, including the Obama years, which were also carefully restricted. Per Walsh, former President Barack Obama's White House photographer, Pete Souza, was frequently the only photographer admitted to events which presidents past would have permitted a gaggle of photojournalists to attend.
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