Donald Trump Photo With Alina Habba Raises Eyebrows

A heavily edited photo of Donald Trump with his lawyer, Alina Habba, at a New Year's Eve party at his Florida residence has sparked discussion on social media.

Former President Trump spent the festive season at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, where he ushered in 2024 with a celebratory gathering, surrounded by a host of guests.

One photo from the soirée that shows Trump posing with a group of women including Habba has captured attention on X, formerly Twitter, over its clear editing.

Real Housewives of New Jersey star Siggy Flicker shared the photo in question on Monday, as she hit out at the "false narrative [and] selective editing of the left."

"Thank you @AlinaHabba for defending our President & The Constitution from the pieces of s*** trying to destroy it!" Flicker, an avowed Trump supporter, wrote. "Insta seems to be having a HUGE problem with 'The Truth.' [It's] getting out and people are waking up to the false narrative & selective editing of the left. #TRUMP."

While the caption showed a passion seen among Trump's most fervent supporters, the image Flicker shared sparked widespread derision. In the black-and-white photo, Habba, Flicker and two other women are seen standing behind a seated Trump.

Trump, who is smiling while sitting at the table, looks remarkably younger than his 77 years with a smooth and heavily edited visage that includes chiseled looks.

The filtered photo prompted a number of social media users to share the original image, which is in color and shows Trump looking closer to the present day.

It also sparked a wave of comments from detractors, one of whom wrote: "Dude, we've seen the raw picture. That one you posted has been photoshopped so much he looks like Lloyd Bridges!"

"LOL, 'Waking up to the false narrative and selective editing' is an understatement," commented another, as they shared contrasting side-by-side photos of Trump.

Another called out Flicker for having "unironically used both 'the truth' and judged people for 'false narratives and SELECTIVE EDITING' while photoshopping Trump to look 10 years younger LMAO."

"Think about how sycophantic you have to be," another responded to Flicker's post.

While it is unclear where the edited image originated from, one X user characterized it as symbolic of how MAGA Republicans "see [Trump] through a filtered lens."

"These 2 pictures of Trump are making the rounds on X," they wrote. "One picture is how Trump really looks and the other is a filtered version of Trump that was made to make Trump look better than he really is.

"This is symbolic to the Trump movement in general. Most people see him for who he really is, while Magadonians see him through a filtered lens. The Trump that Magadonians see is a figment of their imagination."

Many other X users spoke out in defense of the image, with many using it as an opportunity to bash Trump's Republican primary rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

"We know what [Trump] looks like," said one. "He's shown to us at events every day. He's in his 70s and he has clobbered young Ron daily."

For her part, Flicker had shared the original color image of Trump and Habba hours earlier, alongside a caption that read: "Happy New Year!!! Celebrating the New Year with the greatest president in history of America!!!"

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Flicker via email for comment.

While the discourse around the edited photo may seem trivial, it has revived the conversation around Trump's age. Should the GOP frontrunner's efforts to get reelected in November prove successful, he will be the oldest president to be inaugurated.

President Joe Biden being 81, and the oldest to hold office, has been a focal point for many of the Democrat's critics, who have characterized his age as an inhibiting factor in successfully running the country.

Biden has been mocked on social media for a series of gaffes, including when he suggested his father, who has been dead since 2002, was at the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.

A poll published by the Associated Press and Norc Center for Public Affairs in August said 77 percent of American voters considered age an issue if Biden were to win a second term.

It is this that allowed Republicans and Trump's team to play into a narrative regarding Biden's cognitive ability.

However, the same has been said of Trump, whose former director of strategic communications, Alyssa Farah Griffin, said last month that the real estate mogul has not been sharp enough speaking at his rallies and is in fact "slowing down."

Griffin told CNN's State of the Union: "It's kind of remarkable, I've been watching the clips from Trump's visit to Iowa and I'm stunned having spent a lot of time with him in 2020 and years before—he is slowing down."

When approached by Newsweek for comment, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said: "Alyssa Griffin is slowing down and she needs to get it checked out."

Criticism being leveled at Trump over his age does not seem to have affected him as much as it has Biden. Only 51 percent of people responding to the AP/Norc poll said age was an issue for Trump, who is just four years younger than his Democrat rival.

Peter Loge, associate professor at George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs, recently told Newsweek that this may be because Americans are used to listening to Trump make outlandish statements.

"The American people already have a pretty good idea who both Biden and Trump are. Our opinions are set," he said. "They are a bit like actors who get famous for playing one role, and have trouble landing other parts or other types of characters.

"While Trump is also getting up there in years, people tend to view him as strong and commanding."

In November, Trump posted a letter on social media from his physician that said his cognitive health is "exceptional." It also said Trump "reduced his weight through an improved diet and continued daily physical activity."

Trump has made some references to his overall health in recent years and admitted in an interview with The Washington Post before confirming his 2024 candidacy that it was a factor in his decision to run for office again.

"You always have to talk about health," Trump said. "You look like you're in good health, but tomorrow, you get a letter from a doctor saying come see me again. That's not good when they use the word again."