Office of the Prime Minister Rejects Donald Trump Cardboard Cutout Claims
In brief
- The Office of the Prime Minister rejected online rumours claiming Robert Abela posed with a cardboard cutout of Donald Trump.
- Internet speculation arose after social media users noticed Trump appeared in an identical pose across photos with several world leaders.
- The Prime Minister had published an image with Trump alongside his wife Lydia and daughter following an in-person meeting.
The Office of the Prime Minister has dismissed online rumours suggesting that Prime Minister Robert Abela posed alongside a cardboard cutout of Donald Trump.
The unusual claims circulated on social media after users compared pictures of several international leaders meeting the former US president. Commentators argued that Trump displayed an identical posture and expression across separate photographs taken with different foreign dignitaries.
In response to inquiries, government officials described the speculation as totally false, confirming that the meeting had taken place in person.
The controversy began after Abela shared an official photograph showing himself, his wife Lydia, and their daughter standing alongside Trump during a recent diplomatic reception.
Similar visual similarities across official photographs frequently prompt viral theories online. Analysts often attribute uniform appearances to standard photographic routines and staging protocols at major international events, rather than artificial imagery.
The government confirmed the authenticity of the encounter, bringing a formal end to online questions surrounding the meeting.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets covered the viral online claims and the official government denial consistently.