The Tragic Evolution Of Donald Trump's Bronzer Obsession

Donald Trump and bronzer go together like ... well, Donald Trump and bronzer. After all, it's almost more rare to see him without his orange tan than it is to see him with it. However, there certainly have been times the president's hue has been more noteworthy than others. Grab yourself a bag of Cheetos and let's start the show. 

Trump's love for a faux glow is long and storied, so we'll use his appearance at the 2011 "Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump" as a starting point. Ironically, Trump's tan wasn't one of the many things mocked during the evening, though that may have had something to do with the similarly-bronzed Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino being in attendance. He and the now-president poked fun at one another's hair, but somehow, tans never entered the equation. Well, unless you count Sorrentino's awkward allusion to all the things the businessman had going for him, like his tan. Like attracts like, we guess.

Five years on from his roast, Donald Trump went from could-possibly-pass-for-golden-but-not-really to full-blown tangerine after his 2016 presidential campaign wrapped up. For his USA Thank You Tour, the first-time president-elect sported a whole lot of bronzer, with the tell-tale signs of the much lighter circles around his eyes. 

We'll give him some benefit of the doubt, though. In other pictures from the event, his tan, though noticeable, wasn't quite as orange. With that in mind, it's possible warmer lighting on stage played a role in the hue's intensity. Still, had he worn less bronzer, he'd likely have avoided the situation altogether. 

Roughly four years after his first victory, Donald Trump stood on stage to claim the 2020 election was still too close to call — and let's just say his claim that he would win wasn't the only awkward detail caught on camera.

With his bronzer doing double duty (he seemingly tried out some contouring on top of his already-bronzed face), it certainly seemed as though Trump may have been channeling some of his stress into bronzer reapplications behind the scenes. We're not sure it worked, as he still came across as a little antsy while trying to claim that he was the rightful winner.

Despite his delusions to the contrary, Donald Trump did lose the 2020 election, and in January 2021, he left the White House. Notably, Trump also skipped the inauguration, opting instead to dip out early — though not without sharing some final remarks, for which he plastered on the bronzer yet again. 

It's possible he was doing his darndest to hide just how sad he was about his loss. However, given all Trump's cruel (read: petty) actions ahead of the inauguration, he probably just wanted to look more sun-kissed and carefree than his successor. Mission accomplished on at least one of those fronts. 

In possibly one of the Trump family's worst-dressed moments of 2024, Donald Trump showed up for his criminal trial in a yellow tie with dark polkadots. Here's the thing: in pictures taken from a distance, the colors mixed, making the tie seem as though it was bright orange ... and Trump still out-oranged it. 

We can't think of a particularly good reason why Trump would want to wear something that only emphasized his bronzer, but we certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility that he loved what he saw in the mirror that morning. On the other hand, perhaps he believed it would distract from the trial itself. 

While one might assume Donald Trump saw his trial pictures and decided against wearing orange or anything that could pass for it going forward, they'd be wrong. Days ahead of the 2024 election, he threw on an orange vest and gave a press conference from a garbage truck. 

This particular ensemble saw Trump become one with what he was wearing. Instead of the luminescent vest sticking out, its reflection on his cheek made for a pretty accurate shade match. Sadly, not everyone was impressed by Trump's coordination, with many saying he'd picked the wrong Halloween costume and looked like an oompa-loompa. Doompety doo.

The same day Donald Trump sported his garbage collector's uniform, he also addressed a crowd in North Carolina. Off went the vest and on came the red and white striped tie, but even without the neon accessory, his bronzer was still as vibrant as ever. 

Ahead of the election, one photographer mused that Trump's even heavier-than-usual hand with the bronzer was linked to his psyche. The idea was that the more worried he was about the outcome, the more bronzer he seemed to apply. We wouldn't rule it out — but then again, even in his second presidency, he's continued piling it on. 

Unfortunately for anyone who isn't partial to the color orange, even securing his victory hasn't stopped Donald Trump from packing on the bronzer. While meeting with Mark Carney in May 2025, Trump wasn't just bronzed — he was a tad blotchy. 

Like with Trump's worst fake tan fail, things weren't exactly even, and his ears were significantly lighter than the rest of his face. Trump accessorized with a bright red tie. No word on whether he wanted to coordinate his lewk once again ... or if he was trying to deflect attention from the bronzer fail. Somehow, we think it's the former.