White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt looks on as her son Nicholas looks at Waddle, one of the National Thanksgiving turkeys, in the press briefing room of the White House, prior to the turkey pardoning ceremony with US President Donald Trump on November 25, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The White House has been accused of pressuring online photo libraries into removing an “unflattering” image of Karoline Leavitt.
The photograph, taken in November, was withdrawn from circulation after press agencies were reportedly “made aware” that the White House objected to it. The picture was captured as photographers took dozens of shots of the White House Press Secretary during a Thanksgiving-themed press briefing last year.
Leavitt brought her young son along to the event, which also featured an appearance from “Waddle,” the turkey who received the traditional presidential pardon. “We have Waddle,” Leavitt told reporters, “Come on in, Waddle!”
The turkey wandered into the room and paused beside the lectern as reporters posed a series of light-hearted questions to it. “Waddle, why are you getting a pardon? What did you do wrong?” one asked.
Several photographs showed Leavitt and her son revelling in the occasion, yet one particular shot allegedly infuriated the White House. The image, taken from a low angle, depicted Leavitt grinning down at the turkey while holding her son on her hip.
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 25: Nicholas “Niko” Robert Riccio, son of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, crawls next to Waddle, the alternate to the National Thanksgiving Turkey, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on November 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump will pardon Waddle and National Turkey Gobble, who were both raised in North Carolina and will live out the rest of their lives under the care of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)
Leavitt reportedly found the picture so unflattering that AFP was “made aware” of the White House’s displeasure and promptly withdrew it from its library, according to Status reports.
The image was subsequently removed automatically from the Getty Images library as well. The precise photograph is no longer available, though a similar image taken during the same briefing has been included. AFP’s director of brand and communications Grégoire Lemarchand confirmed that the White House had made its displeasure about the image known, but insisted the decision to pull the photograph was an “internal editorial one”, pointing to what he described as the “poor” camera angle.
“During high-volume events like White House briefings, our desk often receives a large influx of photos directly from the photographer’s camera, which are moved quickly by the editor on duty to ensure timely delivery,” Lemarchand told the outlet.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (R) holds her son Nicholas as Waddle, one of the National Thanksgiving turkeys, visits the press briefing room of the White House, prior to the turkey pardoning ceremony with US President Donald Trump on November 25, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images) (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“Upon a subsequent review of the day’s production, our editor-in-chief determined that this specific image did not meet our editorial standards. The angle was poor and, more importantly, we already had a selection of superior images from the same event available on the wire,” he explained.
“While we were made aware that White House staff found the photo unflattering, we want to be clear that there was no formal request to remove it, nor was there any external pressure involved,” Lemarchand added.
Anne Flanagan, Getty Images’ vice president of brand and communications, told Status that AFP retains complete editorial authority over its photographs. She declined to confirm whether Getty had similarly received a complaint regarding the image from the White House.
The episode emerges as the Trump administration is reportedly tightening its grip on unflattering media coverage. The Defence Department has prohibited press photographers from attending briefings on the Iran war after images of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth considered “unflattering” were published, two sources familiar with the decision told The Washington Post.
Members of Hegseth’s team reportedly informed colleagues they were unhappy with his appearance in photographs taken during a 2nd March briefing. Photographers were subsequently excluded from the following two briefings at the Pentagon, on 4th March and 10th March, the two sources familiar with the decision said.
Irish Star has contacted Getty for comment.
