Rare Times Donald Trump Was Spotted Without His Orange Tan

Donald Trump's appearance is as polarizing as his rhetoric, policies, and 2025 cabinet picks. When it comes to his orange face and straw-like combover, people are firmly divided along party lines, with those on the right seemingly in on the joke — because what other reason could there be for blind acceptance? — and those on the left scratching their head in bewilderment.

Whatever camp you're in, you have to at least question the reason Trump's skin is so orange. Unfortunately, it remains one of the real estate mogul's never-ending mysteries, along with: why does he do that weird smug smirk thing? And why does he spend an inordinate amount of time wondering if he'd rather be electrocuted or eaten alive by sharks? We will likely never know.

In December 2024, Trump's Time "Person Of The Year" cover accidentally made his tragic makeup fail so obvious. The magazine's decision to choose Trump proved highly controversial, and photographing him devoid of the radioactive-looking orange hue he's so famed for was equally so, with some claiming Time was attempting to make the MAGA icon look more serious and presidential. Meanwhile, in October 2024, we took a makeup wipe to Trump's tan and gave him his natural color back. The difference was, well, check it out for yourself. Alternatively, read on to see the (very rare) times that Trump saved us the effort and was spotted without his orange tan.

People did a double-take when they spotted Donald Trump on Jun 2, 2019, and it wasn't just because he was in church praying with the congregation. Pale-faced, with his orange/yellow bouffant hair slicked back, à la "Wall Street" baddie Gordon Gekko, Trump looked shockingly different from his usual self.

The president made a whistlestop visit to McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia, to remember the victims of the May 31 Virginia Beach mass shooting that left 12 dead and four injured. Dressed in khakis, an open-neck shirt, and a jacket, Trump stood on stage, head bowed, holding a baseball hat in his clasped hands as the pastor, David Platt, called for the assembly to join him in prayer. "I want to ask us to bow our heads together now and pray for our president," Platt said as he rubbed Trump on the back. "...We stand right now on behalf of our president, and we pray for your grace and your mercy and your wisdom upon him. We pray that he would know how much you love him, so much that you sent Jesus to die for his sins, our sins." Platt asked for Trump's family to be blessed and bestowed with "strength." He added, "[We] pray that you would give them clarity, wisdom," before concluding, "In Jesus' name we pray, amen."

Freshly blessed, Trump didn't hang around for any pleasantries. He shook Platt's hand, humbly mouthed "thank you" to his audience, and hot-hoofed it out the door to his waiting limo.

The USA leg of the Donald Trump appreciation tour continued into April 2021, with a special appearance by National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman, Senator Rick Scott. "This weekend, I was proud to recognize President Donald Trump with the inaugural NRSC Champion for Freedom Award. President Trump fought for American workers, secured the border, and protected our constitutional rights," Scott captioned a photo of himself wide-eyed and grinning proudly next to Trump.

The Donald looked suitably pleased by the honor bestowed on him. He stood smiling broadly with his glimmering award, clad in black slacks, a white polo shirt, and a red MAGA baseball cap perched on his head. Once again, Trump was uncharacteristically devoid of his orange tan, allowing Scott to glow unnaturally by his side.

The two politicians enjoy an endearing bromance. Scott fangirls over Trump at every opportunity possible, and he's rewarded for his unwavering loyalty. Trump endorsed Scott in his (successful) 2024 Senate re-election campaign. "I am proud to give my Complete and Total Endorsement to U.S. Senator Rick Scott of Florida in his bid for Re-Election," he posted on Truth Social in December 2023. "I have known Rick for a long time, as both a businessman and great Governor of FLORIDA, and there are few like him!"

Donald Trump is rarely out-tanned by his wife, Melania Trump. However, that was the case when the couple posed together for their 2024 Christmas card. Scrubbed clean of his usual orange makeup, Donald was blotchy pink and ruddy-cheeked as he stood clad in a tux and bow tie, grinning next to a bronzed, shimmering Melania.

"POTUS had 39k likes and President Trump had over 1.4 Million likes in 12 hours. You know who is more popular," read one Instagram response to the card, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of Christmas.

If there are two things Donald truly loves in life (aside from Diet Coke, KFC bargain buckets, and, of course, anything McDonald's), it's the Bible and Christmas. "I believe in God. I believe in the Bible. I'm a Christian. You know, I have a lot of reasons! I love people!" Donald heatedly insisted to the crowd at the Washington Values Voter Summit in September 2015. He bigged up his support in the evangelical community, crediting its members for his stellar showing in an Iowa poll. "I'm happy about that! That's the reason!" Trump announced, waving his Bible in the air. "I love Christmas, I love Christmas," he continued. "... Christmas is Christmas. I want to see Merry Christmas. Remember the expression 'Merry Christmas?' You don't see it anymore. You're going to see it if I get elected."

Donald Trump was all business and no clowning around when he gave a charged press conference at Mar-a-Lago in August 2024. So, it was fitting that he ditched the orange tan in favor of an au-natural look. Still, despite the uncharacteristically toned-down look, Trump remained true to form, playing fast and loose with the truth.

The New York Times fact-checked his hour-long rampage, which was predictably packed with baseless boasts, false claims, and alternative facts, including the zingers: "If you look at Martin Luther King when he did his speech, his great speech. And you look at ours, same real estate, same everything, same number of people. If not, we had more." And, "The vast majority of the country does support me."

Apparently, there's a reason that Trump started shying away from the (alleged) spray tan gun. "By embracing the cool, vibrant tones in his makeup and wardrobe, he has created a more energetic, serious, and powerful image — just what we'd expect from a world leader," image consultant and celebrity stylist Edith Chan told Fast Company in September 2024. "It's pretty clear that he wanted to shake off his TV personality days to project a new fresh presidential vibe."

It seems hard to remember a time when Donald Trump wasn't glowing orange like a uranium oxide 1960s Fiestaware set. However, back in the day, he was the color of any old run-of-the-mill billionaire property tycoon. As evidenced by a throwback photo of Trump, sans orange tan, hanging with his old buddy, Hulk Hogan, at the March 1987 Wrestlemania Vl Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In fairness, pretty much anybody — even a modern-day Trump — would have paled compared to Hogan, who looked like he was fresh off an intensive six-month-long gym + tan + laundry session with the cast of "Jersey Shore."

Trump's tanning journey began in earnest when he took to the boardroom as the no-nonsense host of "The Apprentice." The smash hit reality show premiered on NBC in January 2004, and during his 14 years of finger-pointing and firing, Trump was seemingly every shade of tangerine, from coral to pumpkin. "The Apprentice" alum-turned-short-lived White House aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman shared the alleged secret to Trump's unholy hue in her tea-spilling memoir, "Unhinged." She claimed her former boss religiously takes to a tanning bed every morning before getting to work "so he 'looks good' all day" (via Us Weekly).