Vanity Fair’s Ultra-Intimate Trump Admin Portraits Trigger Online ‘Jump Scare’ Frenzy – Photographer Insists: “It’s About Truth, Not Shade”

December 17, 2025 – Vanity Fair’s latest deep dive into the second Trump White House has unleashed a social media storm, not for its explosive interviews, but for a series of hyper-detailed close-up portraits that have users screaming “jump scare” and demanding content warnings. The photos, capturing every pore, freckle, and makeup mishap on key figures like Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Vice President JD Vance, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, have racked up millions of views and thousands of comments across Instagram and X, with reactions ranging from horrified amusement to accusations of deliberate sabotage.

The controversy erupted on Tuesday when Vanity Fair posted the images as part of their feature “Trump 2.0: Inside the Chaos of the Second Administration.” Shot by acclaimed photographer Christopher Anderson on November 13, 2025, during a day-long visit to the White House, the portraits feature seven prominent officials: Wiles, Leavitt, Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Director of Presidential Personnel Dan Scavino, and Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair. Anderson’s signature style—extreme close-ups with medium-format cameras and precise lighting—lays bare the unfiltered humanity behind the political facade.

Vanity Fair portraits of White House leaders hoped to cut through ‘political theater.’ Instead they drew snickers online – Yahoo News Canada

But what Anderson calls “penetrating the theater of politics” has been dubbed “diabolical” and “done dirty” by online commentators. On Instagram, where Vanity Fair shared the series, users flooded the comments with shock. “Jesus Christ, a warning next time please,” wrote comedian Kelsey Darragh under Leavitt’s photo, which zoomed in on the 28-year-old press secretary’s face, highlighting what some speculated were injection marks on her lips. The post alone garnered over 20,000 views and 2,000 comments in under eight hours, with phrases like “jump scare” repeating like a mantra.

Leavitt’s image became the breakout viral hit, but others didn’t escape scrutiny. Vance’s portrait prompted calls for a “content warning,” while Rubio’s pensive stare led one user to joke, “Did VF use the camera from the dermatologist that shows sun damage??” Wiles, the first female White House chief of staff and Trump’s so-called “Ice Maiden,” appeared with wide eyes and tousled silver hair, earning quips like “Mugshot” and questions about whether the close-ups were “bad on purpose.”

On X (formerly Twitter), the backlash amplified. Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly slammed the magazine in a viral clip, calling the photos “unflattering mugshots” and questioning why the Trump team agreed to the interview. “Whoever consented to this needs a time-out,” posted user @DameScorpio, sharing Kelly’s video which amassed over 15,000 views. Others drew comparisons to Vanity Fair’s softer treatment of the Biden administration, with one post noting, “They made Biden look like an MLB Hall of Famer while Trump folks get extreme close-ups like intense mugshots.”

Vanity Fair’ Goes to the White House: Trump 2.0 Edition | Vanity Fair

Anderson, a Robert Capa Gold Medal winner known for his raw portraits in outlets like The New York Times and Esquire, defended his approach in an exclusive interview with The Independent. “Very close-up portraiture has been a fixture in my work for years, across all political stripes,” he said. “I’m not trying to make anyone look bad—it’s about cutting through the projected image to something more truthful.” He emphasized that the shots were chosen for their authenticity, including a candid of Rubio gazing out a window, and that he treated each subject equally, though he admitted getting “even closer” to Leavitt for dramatic effect.

The feature itself is packed with candid revelations from Wiles, who described Trump as having “an alcoholic’s personality” and labeled Vance a “conspiracy theorist.” She later pushed back, calling the article “disingenuously false” and accusing Vanity Fair of quote manipulation—but remained silent on the photos. Miller, after his shoot, even approached Anderson with a veiled plea: “You have a lot of power in the discretion you use to be kind.” Anderson’s retort? “You do too.”

Despite the uproar, some see irony in the transparency. Trump officials have touted this as “the most transparent administration in history,” yet the unvarnished visuals proved too raw for many. As one X user put it, “Holy jump scare! I literally just woke up. So rude!” Publications like Newsweek and The Express Tribune have covered the fallout, with experts noting it highlights media bias perceptions in a polarized era.

Vanity Fair hasn’t commented on the backlash, but the photos continue to dominate feeds. Leavitt and the White House have yet to respond publicly. In a year of political turbulence, these portraits serve as a stark reminder: sometimes, getting too close reveals more than anyone bargained for.