A Trump family Christmas photo has caused controversy on social media, with two key questions on the internet's mind.
The festive snap was taken at Trump's resort in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, and shows the 77-year-old surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
However, the former president's son Barron, 17, with wife Melania Trump, raised eyebrows online with his extraordinary height.
Standing at the back of the group, the teen is literally head and shoulders above the rest of Trump's already tall brood.
"What are they feeding Barron?!?" wrote Benny Johnson on X, formerly Twitter.
"What is Baron? 6 foot 14?" asked Shelnutt.
"Barron Trump places the angel on the tree without a step ladder," joked Raheem.
"Barron doesn't breathe oxygen, oxygen breathes Barron," said ZNO.
Melania Trump's absence from the photo also intrigued social media users.
"Where is Melania? I'm not the only one who noticed she's not in the photo," said Bobby_008.
"Imagine having a family photo without your wife? He is a pathetic human being," wrote Jeff.
Barron Trump places the angel on the tree without a step ladder. pic.twitter.com/olxdxMUlmB
— Raheem. (@RaheemKassam) December 26, 2023
"Why aren't any of them standing with their respective partners- to detract Melania's absence?" commented @JossyTweets.
However, others didn't find the lack of Melania Trump an issue.
"Yeh there's also like 10 other family members missing. So?" said Raheen.
"Melania's father is the man on the far left. Perhaps this is a private family photo and Melania took the picture," said Dr. Fran.
Alongside Trump and Barron, Donald Jr., 45, and Ivanka, 42—Trump's oldest children with late ex-wife Ivana Trump—attended the get-together. Tiffany, 30, whose mother is the business mogul's ex-wife Marla Maples, was also in the picture.
Several of the business mogul's grandchildren were in the shot including Arabella Rose, 12, Joseph Frederick, 10, and Theodore James, 7, along with their father, Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner.
Donald Jr.'s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and his son Donald John III, 15, with ex-wife Vanessa Haydon, were at the celebration, along with Guilfoyle's son Ronan Anthony Villency.
Although Melania Trump was absent from the photo, her father, Viktor Knavs, was present, standing to the left of Tiffany in the family photo.
Trump's Christmas message also caused a commotion. Shared to Truth Social—the social network Trump founded in October 2021 after being banned from Twitter—the snap shows the real estate tycoon standing in a White House hallway with his wife, surrounded by Christmas trees.
The business mogul donned a suit and bow tie for the photo, while Melania opted for a white high-necked gown. However, social media users thought the image looked familiar, with the shot actually taken in 2018.
"Nice try, bro. That photo is from 2018," said X user Ron Filipkowski, along with the hashtag "#WheresMelania."
"Give him a break. That's the last time he saw her," joked Ron Shillman.
"His whole wife left him and now he's digging back into the archives to make it seem like she's still around," wrote Ani.
Where Is Melania Trump?
Although the former first lady was active during her husband's 2016 presidential campaign, Melania Trump has since withdrawn from the public eye. She was noticeably absent from the 2020 campaign trail, has not made an appearance during his 2024 run or at any of his legal proceedings.
The lack of publicity has led people to question the 53-year-old's whereabouts. According to Laurence Leamer, the author of Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump's Presidential Palace, Melania Trump lives a "strange" life at the compound.
"She rarely exits Mar-a-Lago. It's a strange, isolated life they have in that place," Leamer told the Telegraph. "Nobody knows where she is. It's like a mystery. It's certainly talked about."
However, the former model has been making more public appearances of late. On December 15, the Slovenian native spoke during a naturalization ceremony for immigrants at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the Bill of Rights day.
She also attended former first lady Rosalynn Carter's funeral on November 29, with her outfit choice causing a stir online.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
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