‘THIS IS INSANE’: Critics Lose It Over Trump Insisting Photoshopped ‘MS-13’ Tattoo Is Real
President Donald Trump sparked an odd debate this week after he insisted in an interview that deported migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia had “MS-13” tattooed on his hand only to be informed right away the image is photoshopped.
In an interview with ABC News’ Terry Moran on Tuesday, Trump spent approximately two minutes claiming the fake image was real, leading to his more loyal MAGA followers to attack Moran while critics raised alarms about Trump, the photo, and people attacking a reporter for telling the sitting president a photo he’s referencing is fake.
Garcia has been thrust into the center of debate around Trump’s mass deportation agenda after he was deported to an El Salvador megaprison in what the administration admitted was an error. The Supreme Court since ordered the administration “facilitate” Garcia’s return, but Trump and his team claim this ruling doesn’t actually mean they need to bring the man back.
Garcia is an illegal immigrant who lived in Maryland for more than a decade. The administration has insisted the man is a member of the MS-13 gang, something his legal team has denied. Critics have also raised alarm about the fact that Garcia has been labeled a gang member, but he has no gang-related convictions.
While speaking with Moran about the case, Trump claimed Garcia has “MS-13” tattooed on his fingers. This stems from a photoshopped image where the image was manipulated to make it appear Garcia had an undeniable gang tattoo.
“He had some tattoos that are interpreted that way, but let’s move on,” Moran said after Trump mentioned the tattoo.
“Wait a minute. Hey, Terry. Terry. Terry. Don’t do that,” Trump said.
He did not have the letter ‘MS-13,'” Moran shot back.
“It says ‘MS-13,'” Trump insisted.
“That was Photoshopped,” Moran informed him.
Trump told Moran he wasn’t being nice and doubled down on the tattoos spelling MS-13.
Some supporters of Trump made the argument that Garcia has existing tattoos that stand for the letters and numbers that would make up MS-13, but Trump never makes reference to this and critics waved it off as an attempt to spin the president’s interview.
“No, it is very clear from this clip: Trump literally believes something that isn’t true, because he fell for a cheap Photoshop image he saw online,” Washington Examiner contributor Brad Polumbo wrote on X in response to one such defense.
NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo called for the president to apologize.
“Scary. Why are Maga folk attacking Terry Moran? He was right. It’s Photoshopped! Moran was more polite despite the president insulting him and blaming him for being wrong. Who doesn’t think that Trump should apologize?” he wrote.
“One of the craziest exchanges I have ever seen in an interview in my life,” Mehdi Hasan declared about the exchange.
Trump claimed in his interview with Moran that he is following the law despite the Supreme Court’s order and the admission of a mistake in Garcia’s deportation to the megaprison.
“You want me to follow the law. If I were the president that just wanted to do anything, I’d probably keep him where he is,” he said.
