Fact check: Image of first lady Jill Biden wearing 1980s costume is altered

McKenzie Sadeghi, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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The claim: Image shows Jill Biden wearing 1980s outfit

Following an online debate surrounding first lady Jill Biden wearing black patterned stockings, an image surfaced on social media purporting to show her in a 1980s outfit.

The photo, which was shared to Facebook on April 7, shows Biden allegedly wearing a black dress, white heels and gloves, pattered leggings and a cheetah print cardigan.

"IS THIS THE 2021 POSE FOR THE FIRST ILLEGITIMATE LADY?" the user captioned the post, which has over 400 shares. "SOMEBODY HELP JILL!!!!"

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user for comment.

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Image is not authentic, originated on satire site

A Google reverse image search shows that the image in the post has been manipulated from a photo of a women's 1980s costume.

The outfit, which is viewable on eBay and Amazon, was created by the brand Fancy Me and is described as, "Ladies Wild Child Madonna Punk Pop Icon Celebrity Fancy Dress Costume Outfit."

In the original photo, the model is seen wearing a black bow and red lipstick. The altered version of the photo added Biden's face along with the watermark PatriotRetort.com, where the image originated.

The photo is featured in an April 5 article titled, "Dear First Lady: The 80s called; it wants its fashion back." The piece was filed under "DOCTOR Jill Biden" and "Enslaved Press/Fake News."

Other altered photos of Biden have previously been shared on the site.

PatriotRetort.com, describes itself as a "conservative commentary and satire website." According to Media Bias/Fact Check, the site is an opinion blog with a right-wing bias and is rated mixed for factual reporting because of a lack of sourcing.

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Biden wardrobe choice controversy

That photo follows a controversial image captured on April 1 of Biden wearing patterned tights and black booties at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Her look quickly went viral on Twitter where it received mixed reactions. Some users criticized her outfit for being "inappropriate" while others jumped to her defense saying that she can wear what she wants, Glamour reported.

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Our rating: Altered

An image claiming to show first lady Jill Biden wearing a 1980s costume is ALTERED, based on our research. The photo originated on a satirical conservative site that mocked Biden for wearing patterned tights. The original image shows a model posing in a Madonna costume.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Image of Jill Biden wearing 1980s costume is altered