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Online users are mocking Donald Trump after a funny detail was spotted in a photo Karoline Leavitt shared from aboard Air Force One.
The 28-year-old White House press secretary, who has been on maternity leave after giving birth to her second child, gave followers a glimpse inside the president's brand-new Air Force One after joining its inaugural flight.
On Wednesday (July 1), Leavitt shared three pictures from inside the aircraft, writing: "What a privilege to be aboard the inaugural flight on the brand new Air Force One! A truly unforgettable day."
Leavitt has traveled with the president in recent weeks despite her leave and was among those on board as the 80-year-old headed to North Dakota for the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
Also traveling with the president were his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, along with Don Jr.'s wife, Bettina Anderson.
The luxury jet, gifted to the United States by Qatar, has been redesigned with white grain leather trim on meeting tables, pillows embroidered with the presidential seal, and framed photographs of Washington landmarks throughout the cabin.
Trump opened up about his excitement about the milestone flight before boarding the aircraft in Maryland.
"We're going to the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library opening, and that'll be very good. That'll be a lot of fun," he said.
"But I think you know, to be honest with you, I'm excited about the first flight. It’s something nobody has ever seen anything like this."
He also told reporters: "I'm excited about the first flight.
"They just completed it. They made it appropriate for a president, that means the security and all of the different bells and whistles they put on. Very complex now, but it's really quite something."
Despite the luxury upgrades, online users quickly became distracted by a feature visible in one of Leavitt's photos.
The picture showed a TV screen displaying the presidential seal positioned in front of a bookshelf filled with matching hardback books.
Several appeared to have nothing more than the word "Library" printed on their spines, with no author names, publishers, or book titles visible.
The books also appeared to be arranged in matching pairs and trios, leading many online to speculate that they were purely decorative.
"Of course a plane full of people who have never read a book has a bookshelf of fake books with titles like 'Library'," one person wrote.
Another joked: "Volume III of the Library is a real nail-biter."
A third quipped: "Fake books are such a good use of taxpayer money!"
A fourth added that the shelf was "a perfect representation of the Trump administration... all show and no substance".
The aircraft's debut comes after months of criticism surrounding the gift from Qatar.
Critics have argued the jet could be viewed as an attempt by Doha to curry favor with the president, while others have questioned the need for the aircraft given that Boeing is already building two new Air Force One planes.
Those replacement 747-8 aircraft were ordered for $3.9 billion in 2018, but repeated delays have pushed their expected completion until at least mid-2028, which is near the end of Trump's second presidential term.
The Qatari aircraft is meant to bridge that gap until the new planes are delivered.
Trump has repeatedly defended accepting the present and has argued that it represents exceptional value.
"Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars," he said.
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Donald Trump has taken the first official flight on his new Air Force One - a $400 million luxury Boeing 747 donated by the government of Qatar that has been described as a 'palace in the sky'.
The President boarded the aircraft at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday for a flight to North Dakota, where he is attending the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library as part of the America 250 celebrations.
"I'm excited about the first flight. Nobody's ever seen anything like it," he told reporters before boarding.
"Frankly, we couldn't build a plane like this because we wouldn't be willing to spend the kind of money necessary. They spent top dollars."
The aircraft is a Boeing 747-8i jumbo jet that was originally built as a VVIP private jet for the Qatari royal family.
French interior designer Yves Pickardt spent over three years on the project, taking his cues from superyachts and luxury apartments rather than anything you would normally see on a commercial aircraft.
It has around 4,000 square feet of interior space spread across two decks but carries just 89 passengers.
A commercial airline would fit between 360 and 460 seats into the same airframe.
That ratio tells you everything about what this plane was built for.
White House reporters who toured the jet described it as feeling "more like a house than a plane".
One noted: "Big, with warm tan walls. Glossy. Silver accents throughout. Solid wood tables. Presidential seal on every seat belt."
Two. The presidential suite sits in the nose of the aircraft - the quietest part of the cabin - and includes a master bedroom with a full-size bed, a guest suite, a private office that doubles as a dining room, and two full bathrooms with showers.
Behind the suites is a private lounge with seating for nine of Trump's inner circle.
The entire forward section has its own discreet entrance, separate from the rest of the cabin.
The main deck features a central lounge with 16 seats in stitched leather, wacapou veneer tables, and a wool-silk Tai Ping carpet.
There is a six-person settee, window-adjacent recliners, and a round table with six more seats.
A custom spiral staircase - designed and certified from scratch - leads to the upper deck, where the space is laid out more like a living room than an aircraft cabin.
It has bookshelves, a corner sofa, a large flat-screen TV, and eight plush seats arranged in a club configuration over coffee tables.
The jet has more than 40 televisions across both decks, including five 55-inch monitors and four 46-inch screens, plus Blu-ray players, live broadcasting capability, and full onboard connectivity.
Five galleys are spread throughout, capable of serving 100 meals simultaneously.
There are nine lavatories in total.
The interior features sycamore and African wacapou wood, stone finishes, natural leathers, and silk textiles throughout.
The two Boeing 747-200s that have served as Air Force One since 1990 are functional military aircraft.
The presidential bedroom on those planes is modest, the private office is utilitarian, and the aesthetic is restrained.
They carry around 70 passengers with far less personal space and none of the material richness found in the Qatari jet.
Trump used one of the old planes for the G7 summit in Europe last month and said it was likely its final presidential trip.
"We'll get them fixed up a little bit, not like this one, and we'll do museums, but they're great planes, they're great history," he said at the unveiling on June 19.
He has also called it "ridiculous" that the president had been flying decades-old aircraft and described the new jet as "the world's most luxurious plane".
The Air Force prioritised speed over a complete rebuild. The interior layout was left 'minimally changed', meaning most of the original Qatari luxury finishes remain intact.
What did change was under the surface.
The aircraft was fitted with secure voice and data links, classified satellite communications, upgraded internal networks, and cryptographic equipment.
A medical unit was added. The Arabic-language exit signs and contemporary artwork were removed. Presidential seals were placed on the walls and on every seatbelt.
The exterior was repainted in red, white, and blue - replacing the baby-blue-and-white colour scheme that had been on Air Force One since the Kennedy era.
Trump said the Qatari Emir asked him what colour he wanted.
"I said, 'I like the colour of the American flag.' Right? That makes sense."
One thing the jet lacks is sufficient refrigerator space.
Unlike the previous Air Force One, it cannot carry all the food needed for long-haul presidential travel, meaning military cargo jets will shadow it across the globe carrying supplies.
The aircraft itself is valued at approximately $400 million and was donated to the US Department of Defense as an 'unconditional' gift from the Qatari government.
However, the total cost is likely significantly higher.
The US government has spent an undisclosed sum on security modifications, classified communications systems, and crew training.
Aviation experts have estimated the full project could exceed $1 billion when all costs are factored in.
The Air Force also leased a separate 747-8 last year so pilots and maintenance crews could begin training on the new model, purchased a former Lufthansa 747-8, and built a full 3D mock-up of the interior for familiarisation training.
That is the question that has followed this story since Semafor first reported on the detailed specifications of the jet in May 2025.
Qatar is a gas-rich Gulf state that hosts a major US military base and has served as a mediator in talks with both Hamas and the Taliban.
It punches well above its weight diplomatically and gives generously to governments and causes worldwide, as well as financing the Al Jazeera television network.
Trump has described the gift as "a great gesture" that would be "stupid" to turn down, saying "only a fool" would refuse it.
The White House has called it "a very public and transparent transaction".
Critics disagree. The gift came just weeks after the Trump Organization announced a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar in collaboration with a Saudi company and a firm owned by the Qatari government.
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has also been in Doha for peace talks with Iran.
Donald Sherman, president of the government ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, told MS NOW that the President "time and time again makes clear that he is willing to accept and actively seek gifts from foreign governments where the American people have significant national security interests".
"Some things the US government should simply pay for," he said, "and the president's plane is one of them."
He added: "Any student of history remembers that the Trojan horse was a gift, too."
This is not the first time Qatar has gifted a 747 to a NATO ally.
In 2018, Reuters reported that Qatar gave a 'luxury' jumbo jet to Turkey, drawing questions from opposition lawmakers.
President Erdoğan insisted at the time that it was "the plane of the Republic of Turkey, not my plane."
The jet has also drawn attention internationally.
During a meeting in the Oval Office in May 2025, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared to take a dig at Trump over the gift, telling him: "I'm sorry, I didn't have a plane to give you."
Trump's response was typically blunt: "I wish you did. I would take it."
The Boeing 747-8i was originally configured for the Qatari royal family.
Its tail number includes the letters HBJ - the initials of Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, a leading Qatari royal and former prime minister who posted on Instagram about visiting Trump at Mar-a-Lago back in 2018.
The jet was listed for sale through the Swiss firm AMAC Aerospace around 2020, with a 16-page specification document detailing its layout, manufacturers, and interior blueprint.
That document, which is still available on AMAC's website, provides the most detailed publicly available look at the aircraft's original configuration.
Trump said at the unveiling that the plane had just 800 hours of flight time, making it practically "brand new".
The jet is set to serve as a 'bridge' Air Force One until two purpose-built Boeing 747-8 aircraft - originally due in 2024, now expected in 2028 - are delivered.
After that, the Qatari jet will reportedly be transferred to Trump's presidential library foundation, meaning he will continue to use it after his term ends.
The question of who replaces Trump in 2028 is already generating significant discussion, but whoever takes office will not inherit this particular aircraft.
Trump has said the jet will lead a group of aircraft in a "flyover like no flyover" over the White House on July 4 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
He has also confirmed the plane will carry him to the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month.
The America 250 celebrations have already generated headlines of their own this week, and the new Air Force One's July 4 flyover is likely to add another.
After that, the jet becomes the primary presidential aircraft for the remainder of Trump's second term - a $400 million flying mansion with a master bedroom, a spiral staircase, and a seatbelt with the presidential seal on it.
Whether you see that as smart diplomacy or something else entirely probably depends on how you feel about the man sitting in the master bedroom at 40,000 feet.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has left fans stunned after she unveiled her latest family photo.
Leavitt, 28, shared a series of sweet snaps of her and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 59, posing with their 16-month-old son, Niko, as the family took in the White House's Halloween festivities last week.
In the photos, Niko was seen wearing a pumpkin costume before meeting President Donald Trump and enjoying petting goats and hurtling down a slide with his mom.
However, it was a family photo of Leavitt, Riccio, and their son that had fans talking as some accused Leavitt of Photoshopping her husband's face after getting comments about their 31-year age gap.
One of her followers wrote: "Karoline, Awesome picture but my friends noticed something: The guy on the left seems to have only his face photoshopped. His hands look like 60+ years old. What happened?"
Others added: "Man that smoothing filter on her old man’s forehead working overtime," and: "Smooth face, wrinkled hands. Photoshop or Botox?"
Another commented: "Old man hands blow your cover up Karoline. Your husbands face does not match his hands."
Leavitt has not publicly responded to the comments or confirmed whether the images had been edited or not before they were posted to her Instagram feed.
Leavitt, who married Riccio in 2024, first met him in 2022 during her congressional campaign in New Hampshire.
“A mutual friend of ours hosted an event at a restaurant that he owns up in New Hampshire and invited my husband,” Leavitt shared during a February 2025 appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show. “I was speaking. We met and we were acquainted as friends.”
Riccio is a successful real estate entrepreneur from New Hampshire, who built a multimillion-dollar property empire with more than 15 rental properties in Hampton Beach.
Before meeting his wife, he faced significant financial struggles, including experiencing homelessness in his youth, but his persistence led him to become a successful businessman.
In her interview with Megyn Kelly, Leavitt acknowledged her initial hesitation about the age difference between them. "Yes, of course," she said. "I mean, it’s a very atypical love story, but he’s incredible. He is my greatest supporter, he’s my best friend, and he’s my rock."
She added that he supported her in pursuing her own political and professional dreams, revealing: "He’s built a very successful business himself, so now he's fully supportive of me building my success in my career."
Leavitt also praised Riccio for his parenting, adding: "He’s the father of my child, and he’s the best dad I could ever ask for.
"I say, ‘I walked into your life and it’s been a circus ever since,’ but God bless him because he’s fully on board.”
And while Leavitt's role is largely in front of the cameras, she tries to maintain as much privacy in her personal life as possible, saying per Yahoo: "I respect his privacy,” noting that Riccio is an introvert who avoids social media. "He’s my number one fan, the best dad, and just the best man I’ve ever met."
Donald Trump is once again facing criticism following another comment he has made about White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Trump, 79, has often heaped praise on his 28-year-old employee, often highlighting aspects of her appearance, which many people have deemed to be inappropriate.
The president spoke to supporters in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday (December 9), where he addressed Leavitt's presence at the event.
He said, per The Sun: "We even brought our superstar today, Karoline. Isn’t Karoline great?
"You know, when she goes on television, Fox, like I mean, they dominate, they dominate when she gets up there with that beautiful face and those lips that don’t stop-op-op-op, like a little machine gun."
His comments about Leavitt's lips - not the first time he's seemingly honed in on this feature - sparked outrage from people on social media.
One wrote: "Trump praising Leavitt’s 'machine gun' lips isn’t just awkward, it’s the kind of compliment that belongs in a 1987 locker room."
Others added: "Trump reducing a woman to her looks and the sound of her lips is grotesque, juvenile, and horrifyingly predictable," and: "Gross. I'd be mortified if my boss spoke about me like that."
It's not the first time Trump has spoken about Leavitt's lips, as he recently made a similar comment aboard his personal presidential aircraft, Air Force One.
While he was supposed to be talking about international matters, he instead asked the reporters: "How's Karoline doing? Is she doing good? Should Karoline be replaced?"
When the gathered pool of reporters said that she should not be replaced, he then went on to assure them that it would "never happen".
Trump then continued: "That face... and those lips, they move like a machine gun."
Leavitt, who is the youngest press secretary in history, has become one of the most well-known figures in Trump's circle.
Back in August, Trump was speaking to Newsmax and was asked for his opinion on Leavitt.
He said: "She's become a star. It's that face, it's that brain, it's those lips — the way they move, they move like she's a machine gun.”
Then, he added: “Is she in the room?”, before continuing: “She's a star, and she's great.
“I don't think anybody has ever had a better press secretary than Karoline. She's been amazing.”
Leavitt has not yet addressed any of the comments publicly.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has revealed she's expecting her second child, and gave a very strange shoutout to her boss, Donald Trump, as part of the big reveal.
Leavitt, 28, took to Instagram to share that she and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 59, are expecting a baby girl in May 2026.
Alongside festive photos featuring Leavitt, a growing baby bump, and a shirt that read “Baby sis,” she wrote: “The greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for - baby girl coming in May 2026.”
In a follow-up snap, Leavitt included her husband holding their one-year-old son, Niko, next to a Christmas tree.
She captioned the moment with: “My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for the blessing of motherhood, which I truly believe is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth.”
And in a move few saw coming, Leavitt pivoted from heartfelt to political, writing: “I am also extremely grateful to President Trump and our Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for their support, and for fostering a pro-family environment in the White House.”
She ended the post on a high note, declaring: “2026 is going to be a great year and I am so excited to be a girl mom!”
Leavitt made history as the youngest person to ever serve as White House press secretary.
She gave birth to her son in July 2024 while working on Trump’s campaign - just days before an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
The chaotic moment led the 28-year-old to cut her maternity leave short and return to work earlier than expected.
She later spoke to The Christian Broadcasting Network about the emotional toll of juggling the intense demands of the White House and parenting.
"I think every working mother understands the demands. And no matter where you are, what you’re doing, there is a sense of guilt," she said. "But I spend every second that I possibly can with my son when I’m home on weekends and evenings."
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Leavitt made it work with baby Niko by her side - literally. She initially worked from home, telling the Post Run High podcast: "I was able to easily go downstairs and do a quick TV hit and then, of course, attend to my child."
Once back in the office, she brought her son with her, adding, “He was always with me throughout the entire duration of the campaign and just made it work."
Leavitt’s son has become a familiar face on her social media, appearing in everything from beach trips in New Hampshire to posing with a live turkey at the White House and dressing up in a pumpkin costume for Halloween.
Speaking to Megyn Kelly, the press secretary praised her husband for being a rock of support: “He’s fully supportive of me building my success in my career...Becoming a mother in the midst of this very chaotic political world that I work in has been the best thing I could ever imagine because it gives you great perspective.”
According to the White House, Leavitt will continue in her role after giving birth to her daughter, though no specifics about maternity leave were provided, per the New York Times.
Presidents are supposed to be respected, but every so often they make a hilarious gaffe. While trying to escape reporters, George W. Bush awkwardly tugged on a locked door. During a 2008 campaign stop, Barack Obama claimed he visited "57 states." And during a banquet, George H.W. Bush vomited on the lap of the Prime Minister of Japan. That last one's pretty hard to top, but if anyone can do it, it's current US president and first Google Image result for the word "idiot," Donald Trump.
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The gaffe economy has been booming since Trump took office. During a press conference, he awkwardly drank water with two hands, and got roasted on Twitter. Then, while boarding Air Force One, the wind blew through his bizarre hairdo, exposing the clean pate beneath his elaborate combover. In Michael Wolff's book, he offered an explanation for Trump's unique hairstyle, attributed to his daughter, Ivanka:
"She often described the mechanics behind it to friends: an absolutely clean pate - a contained island after scalp-reduction -surgery - surrounded by a furry circle of hair around the sides and front, from which all ends are drawn up to meet in the center and then swept back and secured by a stiffening spray... The color, she would point out to comical effect, was from a product called Just for Men - the longer it was left on, the darker it got. Impatience resulted in Trump's orange-blond hair color."
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Well, maybe Trump should switch to Amtrak, because he just had another gaffe on Air Force One. At Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, he exited the limo and appeared to have a piece of toilet paper stuck to his shoe. The tissue stayed attached as the "stable genius" walked up the steps to his plane. Then as Trump turned to wave to his supporters, the piece of paper finally became dislodged. A staff member of Secret Service agent picked up the tissue, and, I assume, will sell it on eBay for a lot of money.
The video of Trump's gaffe went viral, and was greeted with amusement on social media. "The jokes write themselves," said one, while another asked, "How's that for a metaphor?" One person wondered, "How many people do you think saw and didn't tell him?" Another commenter observed, "Nothing is more telling about disliked Trump is by his own people than everyone letting him take this long photo op walk with toilet paper on his shoe," another Twitter user asserted. And of course, someone made a remix with the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme.
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Trump supporters might dismiss the video "fake news," as they do to all factual news that is unflattering to Trump. But I say, embrace it. That is the greatest, most beautiful piece of toilet paper in the world, a lot of people have said that, believe me. And it could have been worse. It's not he puked on anyone's lap.
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