Summary
- Trump posted an altered picture of his welcome for Xi Jinping in the United States.
- BBC Verify found discrepancies by comparing the post with real photographs from 23 September 2026.
- The changes involve gloves, a woman in the background and aircraft details.
- The exact editing technology has not been established.
The photograph Donald Trump posted of his welcome for Xi Jinping in the United States did not faithfully show the scene: comparisons with genuine images revealed digital alterations.
The image, bearing the words “Only Trump” above the two leaders, shows the US president saluting beside his Chinese counterpart in front of an Air China aircraft. The actual welcome took place on 23 September 2026 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The disputed picture was posted to Truth Social on 24 September.
BBC Verify examined the post against photographs and video from the same ceremony. Its video highlights the differences that led investigators to conclude the image had been edited.
The details that do not match
The clearest discrepancy involves Trump’s gloves. In photographs and footage from the ceremony, he is wearing black gloves on both hands. In the posted picture, the hand hanging at his side appears bare, while he salutes with the other.
The comparison also reveals differences in Trump’s hair and appearance. Red markings visible on the aircraft in independent photographs are missing, and the woman behind him does not appear to match Monica Crowley, the US chief of protocol shown in the original footage. The identity of the person depicted in the edited version has not been confirmed.
Comparing the image with photographs from the real ceremony
Independent documentary images provide an important reference. The US Air Force has published an official photograph of Trump saluting alongside Xi, taken on 23 September by Senior Airman Gabriel Jones. The record identifies the photographer, date and ceremony.
Different photographers can capture different moments and angles, so genuine images of an event need not look identical. Here, however, changes to clothing, people and aircraft markings cannot be explained simply by the camera shutter being released at a different instant.
AI or conventional photo retouching?
What is established is that the image was digitally altered, not precisely how it was altered. Image-forensics specialist Henry Farid noted that some of the differences resemble cosmetic changes intended to clean up a photograph. The final pixels alone do not conclusively establish whether AI tools were used.
This is different from Doug Mills’s genuine but staged photograph involving Trump, where the pixels were not digitally manipulated but the surrounding context could mislead viewers. In this case, it is the image itself that has changed. It also recalls an earlier Trump image showing six fingers, a separate case in which visible anomalies raised questions about AI.
What we think
Anyone who edits photographs knows how much a small retouch can change the impression a person makes. But this is not a private portrait or an advertising campaign. It is an official welcome for two heads of state, and viewers have good reason to expect a faithful record of what happened.
We do not need to identify the exact software to understand the issue. When a picture is presented as documentary coverage, removing a glove, changing a person in the background or modifying an aircraft matters. It means the picture no longer faithfully records the scene.
For photographers and editors, the practical lesson is the verification process itself: locate independent frames, compare specific details and separate what the evidence demonstrates from guesses about the editing technology. A convincing fact-check rests on corroborated images, not simply on calling something “AI”.
Frequently asked questions
Has it been proven that AI generated the picture?
No. The comparison establishes that the picture was altered, but it does not conclusively identify the software or editing process.
How was the alteration established?
By comparing the social media post with independent photographs and footage of the same ceremony, especially the gloves, the person behind Trump and markings on the aircraft.
