Look at a set of before-and-after photos of any president, one from the start of his term, and one from the end of it, and it’s uncanny how the office ages a person. Understandably so. For me, the only person who finished his first term looking pretty much the same was President Donald Trump.
He seems to thrive on the pressure-cooker nature of the office. Now, ten years after he first entered presidential politics, he looks and sounds pretty much the same, give or take a few pounds. Keep in mind that this is after multiple impeachments, politically charged criminal prosecutions, non-stop smears from leftist politicians, the day-to-day grind of the job, three robust election campaigns, and, of course, at least two assassination attempts.
Trump’s new portrait
— Fletch17 (@RealFletch17) January 16, 2025
Compare to his last one
What do you notice???#NCSWIC
HT @libsoftiktok pic.twitter.com/0LlgBv1wjc
The same can’t be said for the news media. This second Trump term has caused enough heartache on the part of the left and the media that signs of aging are increasingly apparent. Let’s start with that “terminal fret,” Jake Tapper.
This is Jake Tapper from 2017. You may find the clip interesting, but notice how much smoother his face was less than a year into Trump’s first term.
Thanks to RussiaGate and the media's desire to participate in it, this is what was considered news during Trump's first term.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) July 28, 2025
2017. Fake journalist (Jake Tapper) discusses a story by a fake news outlet (WP) with treasonous hoax pusher and one of the spies who lied in 2020… pic.twitter.com/cJsO1Jm19w
This is Jake Tapper now. You can enjoy this clip with Jasmine Crockett, but what I want you to notice is the deepening lines on his face. It’s almost like they get deeper by the minute of this Trump presidency. Most people in the real world don’t age this much in eight years.
NEW: Texas Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett says she is considering running for the U.S. Senate after getting back polling data.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 23, 2025
Crockett shared some of this polling data with CNN’s Jake Tapper and said to expect an announcement from her by Thanksgiving.
“Listen, they are in a… pic.twitter.com/hMX3arpBNK
This is Katie Couric from a couple of weeks ago with Sen. John Fetterman. That chipper smile that won ratings during her days on the Today show is long gone.
It’s insane that Katie Couric, or anyone for that matter, still claims that Charlie Kirk’s rhetoric was “violent.”
— Chadwick (@thechadwickpaul) November 13, 2025
You may not have agreed, but Charlie was a rational debater. He never used insults to win a debate.
Good on Fetterman. pic.twitter.com/hwLn3pZRFT
This was Katie just five years ago.
Katie Couric dishes to Jalen Rose on cancel culture, fashion https://t.co/MMjZCuveLT pic.twitter.com/2KBVtHIRzJ
— New York Post (@nypost) December 3, 2020
This is ABC’s Jonathan Karl on The View just four years ago. You can see his youthful, smoother complexion, more hair, and no real bloat.
#Betrayal author Jonathan Karl tells #TheView what he learned of former Pres. Trump’s handling of Jan. 6, and says there were “multiple outtakes that were deemed unacceptable” of the video he posted that day: “He didn’t tell them to go home. All he did was praise them.” pic.twitter.com/8QGmXkjIm2
— The View (@TheView) November 20, 2021
This is Karl from just a few weeks ago. A little less hair and a lot more bloat.
Jonathan Karl: Trump Doesn't Comprehend People Could Act On His Anti-Media Rhetoric; He Should Know It's Dangerous Out There pic.twitter.com/ovk3WF5jXx
— RCP Video (@rcpvideo) November 21, 2025
You can say that this is all very petty and that people age. Of course, we do. I see a difference in my own reflection in the mirror from one day to the next, and I’m the last one to critique people based solely on appearance.
But the kind of changes I’m noticing in the news media are more drastic. This does not look to me like the natural aging process. It looks like manifestations of high stress. Perhaps the high stress of covering an administration that doesn’t seem to sleep and one that they now know gives as good as it gets.
Trump has successfully sued some of these news organizations. He’s much more aggressive at every level. Everyone in the news media knows that in this term, there can be consequences for making mistakes, and it’s starting to show in their appearance, in their reporting, and even in their voices.
By the end of this Trump term, I think you’ll see more of this in the media. The before-and-after photos will be stark and unbelievable. Meanwhile, Trump will likely sit for the portrait they will someday exhibit in his presidential library. Or they could repurpose one from 2016 and it will look pretty much the same.
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