New Close-Up Of Trump's Rugged Bald Spot & Dirty Cowboy Makeup Is Jarring

Donald Trump's latest photo-op has him looking like he just stepped out of a Western. No, it's not because he traded in his MAGA hat for a cowboy hat with little boots to match. Instead, it was Trump's thinning hair and cowboy-worthy makeup job that were pulling double duty on January 4, 2026.

The photo in question was taken on Air Force One as Trump addressed reporters about his controversial decision to place Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in U.S. custody, which itself seems straight out of a Western movie and is something Venezuelan officials have called a kidnapping. Although the president's seemingly lax adherence to the constitutional limitations of the office makes one wonder whether his maneuver was even legal, we can't get past Trump's makeup.

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While Trump's signature makeup sometimes looks unnaturally greasy, he looked particularly disheveled this day. As you can see above, the president's signature orange hue took on a much deeper tone and grittier texture, reminiscent of the Western stars of yesterday and the makeup that made their skin appear tan and dirty. Of course, those actors had reason to look like they'd spent their days roughing it among the elements, whether that was horseback riding or battling vigilantes to protect their onscreen families.

Meanwhile, it's unknown what made Trump flaunt his "best" cowboy-inspired beat this day (or how he didn't notice the glaring bald spot on the side of his head). One thing is certain, though — there are tutorials available if you'd like to replicate it!

Donald Trump probably isn't the average person's makeup muse, unless their heart's desire is to rock an unnatural shade of "corpse orange" or wear mango bronzer every day of their life. However, time has proven that, when it comes to the president's admirers, you never really know what to expect. So perhaps there is someone out there hoping to replicate these changes to Trump's makeup routine — specifically the cowboy-coded version. If that sounds like you, you're in luck. While Trump keeps his best makeup tips tucked safely to his chest (or in his neck flap), a makeup artist named Ben Nye unlocked the tips to the perfect Western aesthetic back in 2015.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Nye walked a live audience through some of the most important products needed to transform a 21st-century man back to the wild, wild west. Throughout the 25-minute tutorial, where he went in depth about the hallmarks of cowboy makeup, Nye layered his model's face with several products, including bronzing body tint, fake beard stubble, and fake dried blood. Amazon actually sells Ben Nye's Final Seal makeup setting spray, which he stressed the importance of in the video. By the time he showed the finished product, the model looked positively Western, donning sunburnt skin that was lathered in layers of dirt and grime. For a more realistic touch, Nye even showed the audience how to fake the tooth decay that plagued humanity during this era.

Given Trump's apparent proficiency at the cowboy look, we're inclined to believe that he at least skimmed Nye's video. Then again, it's not like his latest political stunt has left him much time for beauty maintenance; he was probably too busy watching video tutorials on how to kidnap the president of a foreign state, so perhaps he was just born with these marvelous makeup tricks.