Doctored image shows smiling Secret Service agents around Trump amid shooting | Fact check

Joedy McCreary
·2 min read
899
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A July 14 Threads post (direct link, archive link) shows a bloodied former President Donald Trump being guarded by two Secret Service agents, both of whom appear to be smiling.

“Photo op of the century,” the post’s caption reads.

The post received more than 200 reposts in less than a day. Similar versions also circulated widely on Instagram and on X, formerly Twitter.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

The image was doctored to change the facial expressions of the agents. They are not smiling in the original photo.

Trump's ear was wounded after shots were fired at him during his July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. As the former president ducked beneath his lectern, Secret Service agents swarmed to cover him before returning him to his feet, huddling and then whisking him off the stage.

But an image that purports to show those agents with smiles on their faces is not real. It has been manipulated to change their facial expressions.

Fact check: Project 2025 is an effort by the Heritage Foundation, not Donald Trump

None of the agents in the original image are smiling as they surround Trump, who has blood on his face and his right arm in the air. The image – which was captured by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci and distributed by the AP – appeared with coverage of the shooting by CNN, The Atlantic, Business Insider and many other legitimate news outlets.

Several of the other elements found in the images are identical, including the orientation of the flag behind the agent in sunglasses, the expression and pattern of blood on Trump’s face and the position of another agent’s left hand on the former president’s waist.

Additionally, none of the agents appear to be smiling in video of the incident posted by legitimate news outlets.

The social media user who shared the post could not be reached by USA TODAY.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Image of agents smiling amid Trump shooting is altered | Fact check