White House Found a Journalist’s Photo of Karoline Leavitt ‘Unflattering.’ Soon It Disappeared from the Internet

Agence France-Presse (AFP) has retracted a photograph of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt from global circulation, citing a failure to meet “editorial standards” after Trump administration officials reportedly complained the image was unflattering.

The news agency, which distributes dozens of images daily from the White House, removed the photo on Tuesday, March 31. AFP spokesperson Grégoire Lemarchand confirmed that Editor-in-Chief Mehdi Lebouachera ordered the deletion after determining the specific frame did not meet the wire’s quality benchmarks.

The controversial image, captured by photographer Andrew Caballero-Reynolds in November, depicted Leavitt alongside her son and a turkey named Waddle. The shot was taken from a low angle, a perspective AFP leadership later deemed “poor.”

While Lemarchand acknowledged the agency was aware that White House staff were dissatisfied with the image, he denied any formal coercion.

“There was no formal request [from the White House] to remove it, nor was there any external pressure involved,” Lemarchand told reporters. He attributed the initial publication to the high-speed nature of White House briefings, where “unfiltered” photos are often moved quickly to the wire before rigorous desk editing.

The retraction follows a growing trend of the Trump administration exerting influence over its visual narrative. The White House and the Pentagon have recently faced scrutiny for restrictive media policies and friction with photojournalists.

• Pentagon Restrictions: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is currently embroiled in a legal dispute over new policies that limit reporter access to the Pentagon.
• Photo Bans: Earlier this month, major outlets including the Associated Press and Reuters were reportedly barred from photographing specific briefings after Pentagon staff flagged previous photos of Hegseth as unflattering.
• Executive Complaints: In October, President Trump publicly criticized Time magazine on Truth Social, labeling a cover photo of himself “the Worst of All Time” and criticizing the “underneath angles” used by photographers.

The removal of the Leavitt photo was first reported by Status. Before its deletion, the image had already been licensed via Getty Images and published by international outlets, including at least one Swiss newspaper.

Despite the removal of the specific November frame, AFP maintained its commitment to volume, noting that over 40 images of Leavitt from recent briefings remain available. However, the incident highlights the ongoing tension between independent photojournalism and an administration hyper-focused on image management.

The White House has not issued a formal comment regarding the deletion.