President Donald Trump celebrated the University of Georgia women’s tennis team at the White House on Tuesday by taking center stage in a photo where he and several men stood in front of most of the NCAA title-winning athletes.
The picture — shared by White House aide Margo Martin in a social media post with a congratulatory caption for the team — shows several men, either university representatives or members of the coaching staff, in the foreground.
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Trump, who is flanked by two of the winning women on an elevated platform, flashes a smile and a thumbs-up.
A majority of the players are cast off to the back two rows.
The snap sparked swift backlash from critics on social media, who took particular issue with men essentially being front and center in the shot.
(It’s worth noting that presidents are typically at the centerof photos celebrating champion athletes at the White House, but the commander-in-chief and key athletes from those teams are usually seen up front as opposed to an all-coach lineup.)
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One X user described the picture as the “perfect depiction of how Trump celebrates women” and another argued that sharing the image is a move that’s “so egregiously bad that it’s an assault on good sensibility.”
Top comments on a post to the team’s Instagram page described the photo as “disappointing” while others simply called for a “redo.”
A White House spokesperson, in an email to HuffPost, accused “failing reporters suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome” of having fabricated a “ridiculous narrative to sow division while Americans are celebrating one another’s great achievements.”
“It’s pretty clear to anyone with an ounce of commonsense that the women’s team is accompanied by their fantastic coaches,” the spokesperson wrote.
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Congratulations, Georgia Women’s Tennis! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/v10nwRskuU
OtherphotossharedbyMartin from the White House’s celebration of winning college athletes on Tuesday also show Trump in the center.
At least in the case of photos with the women’s teams, women are mostly flanking him. Not as many men stand in the front row of these snaps.
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UGA Athletic Association, in a comment to USA Today, said it was “honored” that the White House chose to honor the women’s team, adding that it continues to “be proud of their outstanding success.”
Coach Drake Bernstein, who is featured to Trump’s right in the photo, wrote in a text message to the Athens Banner-Herald (which is under USA Today’s umbrella) that the team was “thrilled” to represent the university and the state of Georgia at the White House.
“This is a terrific experience and memory for these young ladies to be able to share for the rest of their lives,” he wrote.