A recent report reveals that an unnamed photo editor at a major news outlet has expressed concern over the media’s prominent use of a historic photo of former President Trump standing tall moments after surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday. The editor believes that highlighting the image provides “free PR” for the Trump campaign and could be considered “dangerous.”
According to an Axios media trend assessment, the “overuse” of this iconic image poses risks, with unnamed photographers suggesting that promoting the viral photo could serve as “photoganda.” This term implies that the Trump campaign could leverage the image to further its agenda, regardless of the photographers’ original intent to capture a news event.
The powerful image, taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci, captures Trump’s defiant reaction just seconds after a bullet grazed his right ear at a rally. In the photo, Trump is seen raising a fist to his supporters while being rushed off the stage, blood smeared across his face, with Secret Service agents flanking him and an American flag flying above. The photo quickly went viral, dominating newspaper front pages, digital news sites, and social media platforms worldwide.
The photo editor from a major news outlet advised caution in using the photo, despite its quality, to avoid casting Trump in a positive light. “The amount that publications have been using Evan’s photo is kind of free PR for Trump in a way, and it’s dangerous for media organizations to keep sharing that photo despite how good it is,” the editor told Axios.
The image has been widely praised as both iconic and instantly historic, and it is set to appear on the next print cover of Time magazine. Some observers suggest that the photo could forever change public perceptions of Trump, one of America’s most controversial and polarizing political figures.
Washington Post art critic Phillip Kennicott called it “a photograph that could change America forever.” Psychotherapist Jonathan Alter shared with Fox News Digital that the image “encapsulates the essence” of what Americans desire in their leaders.
Alter explained, “The image and the preceding event perfectly capture the raw vulnerability of a powerful former leader at his most vulnerable moment likely ever in his life, only to be followed by that of perseverance, strength, and defiance in the face of evil.” He added that the image represents the resilience and authority Americans admire in their heroes, both fictional and real.
Evan Vucci, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, acknowledged the significance of the moment as he captured the image. He stated, “I was literally just thinking about doing the best possible job I could because I knew that this was a moment in American history that I had to be at the top of my game for.” Vucci, who has covered thousands of events for the AP since 2003, understood the historical importance of the scene unfolding before him.
Trump himself commented on the now-famous photo during an interview with the New York Post, saying, “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen. They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually, you have to die to have an iconic picture.”
