Trump Accidentally Confirms His Bronzed Appearance Isn't Natural (Not That We Were Fooled)

A peculiar line of questioning during an interview led to Donald Trump accidentally confirming how he achieves his bronzed skin tone. Iranian official Mohammad-Javad Larijani had a warning for the president during a television interview (via Iran International). "Trump has done something so that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel," Larijani said. This not-so-veiled threat was brought up in a press conference by Fox News' Peter Doocy on July 9. "When's the last time you went sunbathing?" the reporter asked POTUS, in an attempt to perhaps lighten the mood. Somewhat surprisingly, Trump answered the question earnestly. "It's been a long time. I think I was around 7, or so. I'm not too big into it," he said about soaking up the sun. Trump certainly didn't seem to realize what the seemingly harmless confession had revealed.

DOOCY: When was the last time you went sunbathing?

TRUMP: Been a long time. Maybe I was around 7 or so. I'm not too big into it. pic.twitter.com/CoZHi1ArVM

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 9, 2025

Afterwards, a clip of the "sunbathing" exchange was shared on X, where multiple people took it as proof that Trump uses bronzer to achieve his darkened look, since he had not laid out in the sun since childhood. "We now have verification he uses wood stain on his face though," a member of the Twitterati joked. The anti-Trumpsters came out in full force to roast the president. "Why would you need to sunbathe when you have a bucket of orange body paint nearby?" another wrote. The trolls were creative with envisioning how Trump created his bronzed visage. "He's more of the 'taco seasoning, face dipper' kind of sunbather," one joked. 

Of course, the use of darkening makeup was clear before this no-tanning admission, as Trump looks different when he neglects to use his bronzer.

While overseeing the installation of new flag poles on the White House Lawn on June 18, Donald Trump opted for a more casual look. He sported a white MAGA hat, no tie with his dress shirt, and no makeup on his face. Trump's face was multiple shades lighter, but there was still blotchiness, as the skin was reddened around his cheeks and nose. This could account for why he usually blasts those areas with bronzer.

The following day, Trump unwittingly exposed his fake tan on social media when he uploaded a close-up shot of his face to Truth Social. In an effort to showcase how virile he was, Trump posted a pic of just his face as he flashed a large white smile. "Make America Great Again!" he wrote alongside the snap. His hair was equally as white as his teeth, and that only further highlighted his multi-toned face, which was incongruently darker around his nose and cheeks. The bronzer was not applied evenly, as his ears, neck area, and forehead were noticeably lighter than the front of his face.

Later that month, Trump kicked his greasy bronzer usage into overdrive as he prepared for an interview he must have viewed as important. He spoke to Maria Bartiromo for Fox Nation, where the highlight of the conversation focused on the use of an autopen. Trump may have used an auto-applier for his makeup that day, as it was coated liberally. To his credit, POTUS's skin wasn't blotchy that time around; there was a dark tone throughout his face. Unfortunately for him, however, the bright lights on the set caused a bright sheen on his skin, which gave it a greasy appearance.