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Which photographs, videos, or social media posts are cited as evidence of inappropriate conduct between Trump and Ivanka?
Executive summary
Social-media claims and commentary allege a pattern of “inappropriate” conduct between Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka, most visibly tied to photos, a video from the 2016 Republican National Convention, and decades of public remarks; multiple fact‑checks say several circulating images are doctored or misleading and video shows Trump kissed Ivanka on the cheeks, not the lips [1]. Opinion pieces and books recount lewd comments and staff recollections that some find “creepy,” but reportage notes there is not always incontrovertible proof for private remarks [2] [3].
1. The viral photos and the Reuters/Reuters‑style fact checks: which images were cited
Online collages and posts commonly circulate a set of five images purporting to show “inappropriate” poses between Trump and Ivanka; Reuters’s fact check found two images in the collage were genuine but misleading when taken out of context and three were photoshopped — specifically, a widely shared image altered to look like an open‑mouthed kiss is a fabrication [1].
2. The RNC 2016 video: what the footage actually shows
Video from the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016, was repeatedly cited as evidence; Reuters and other fact checks say that footage shows Trump greeting Ivanka onstage with kisses on both cheeks and a brief hand on her hip, and confirms he did not kiss her on the lips as some posts claimed [1].
3. How commentators and columnists frame the same material
Opinion writers and columnists treat the same photos and comments differently: some, like The Guardian’s Arwa Mahdawi, compile decades of public remarks and recent book excerpts to argue a pattern of behavior that many readers find “creepy,” while noting that not every alleged private remark has incontrovertible proof in the public record [2]. Such pieces mix documented public moments with second‑hand accounts and interpretation.
4. Books and staff recollections: allegations about private comments
Former administration officials and books cited in reportage recall Trump making sexualized or lewd comments about Ivanka in private settings; media reports summarize those allegations (for example, reporting on Miles Taylor’s book and former staffer John Kelly’s purported rebuke), but some outlets caution that not all claims in those accounts have independent, on‑the‑record confirmation [2] [3].
5. Timeline and recycling: why old photos reappear
Fact‑checkers and aggregators note this is not a new phenomenon: old family photos and event footage of Trump and Ivanka have resurfaced repeatedly over years, often during moments of renewed scrutiny of the family, and social coverage sometimes re‑edits or repackages them into sensational collages [4] [1].
6. What reputable fact checks conclude about photographic evidence
Major fact‑checking outlets conclude that certain prominent photographic claims are misleading: while some genuine images show close physical contact at public events, doctored images circulated online falsely present more intimate acts (e.g., a kiss on the lips) that original footage does not support [1]. Independent aggregation of rumors likewise flags repeated resurfacing and manipulation of images [4].
7. Competing perspectives and limits of the public record
Journalists and commentators disagree on how to weigh public gestures, off‑hand remarks, and second‑hand allegations: some argue a consistent public record of remarks and poses supports serious concern [5] [3], while fact‑checkers insist the visual evidence often cited has been altered or taken out of context [1]. Available sources do not mention definitive legal findings of wrongdoing based solely on the photographs or the RNC video.
8. What to watch for when evaluating social‑media “evidence”
Practical cues from the coverage: check original video sources rather than reposted collages; consult established fact‑checks that compare footage to viral images; and distinguish between on‑the‑record eyewitness accounts reported in news pieces and opinion or hearsay summarized by commentators [1] [2]. Fact‑checking outlets and rumor collections (e.g., Reuters, Snopes) are referenced by the reporting cited here for verifying manipulated imagery [1] [4].
Sources cited in this summary make clear there are three overlapping threads in public discourse: [6] doctored images that have been debunked, [7] genuine but context‑dependent public photos and video (RNC 2016 footage showing cheek kisses), and [8] memoirs and staff recollections alleging lewd private comments, where some claims lack independent corroboration in the public record [1] [2] [3].