Fact Check: Authenticity of Trump Bathrobe Photo Questioned

In a turn of events that has captured social media attention, a decades-old photograph of former President Donald Trump lounging on a bed in a white bathrobe has resurfaced and been confirmed as authentic by fact-checkers.

The image, which shows a young Trump lying sideways across a bed wearing a white terry cloth robe, has circulated widely across multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X. Some users have claimed the bedding shows Strawberry Shortcake-themed sheets, although close examination has not revealed any connection to the popular children’s character that originated in 1973.

The photograph first appeared in The Daily Mail on November 8, 2016 – Election Day – as part of a larger collection of vintage Trump family photos. The British tabloid described it as showing “a sexy looking young Trump shirtless and in a white terry cloth robe seated, as well as sprawled across a bed, in a very Burt Reynolds, ‘Cosmopolitan’ magazine-type pose, showing exposed legs.”

According to The Daily Mail’s reporting, the image came from an anonymous collector who discovered approximately 1,000 photos and personal items in a thrift shop in Palm Beach, Florida. The collector speculated that Trump’s first wife, Ivana, or an assistant may have donated the items following their 1990 divorce. The collection reportedly included family moments such as Trump changing his children’s diapers and spending time with his mother, Mary, during Christmas.

While The Daily Mail has been criticized for reliability issues – Wikipedia banned it as a source in 2017 – the extensive collection of published pictures, including an image of the suitcase containing the approximately 1,000 photographs, substantiates the authenticity of the bathrobe photo.

The image has gained renewed attention amid recent developments regarding the release of case files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In November 2025, Trump signed legislation authorizing the release of these documents, though reports indicate he could have declassified many files months earlier during his administration.

In a June 2024 interview with Fox News, prior to his November reelection victory, Trump indicated he would declassify files related to the September 11 terrorist attacks and JFK’s assassination. When asked specifically about Epstein files, Trump responded: “Yeah, yeah, I would. I guess I would. I think that, less so, because, you know, you don’t want to affect people’s lives if it’s phony stuff in there because it’s a lot of phony stuff with that whole world. But I think I would.”

Controversy surrounded this interview when Fox News initially edited Trump’s answer about the Epstein files for broadcast, only airing his first “yeah” before cutting to another question. The network later broadcast his full response.

The timing of the photo’s recirculation coincides with the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform making public approximately 23,000 documents related to Epstein. Democrats on the committee released three emails, including one claiming Trump “knew about the girls” and another suggesting Trump “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with an alleged sex-trafficking victim.

In response, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Snopes: “The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.”

Another email controversy emerged involving correspondence from Mark Epstein, Jeffrey Epstein’s brother, which made crude sexual references to Trump. When some users suggested “Bubba” mentioned in the email referred to former President Bill Clinton, Mark Epstein clarified: “For the avoidance of doubt, the reference to ‘Bubba’ in this correspondence is not, in any way, a reference to former President Bill Clinton.”

As of this reporting, the complete Epstein files authorized by Trump’s recent bill signing have not yet been released, and no credible evidence has emerged tying Trump to Epstein’s sex crimes, despite their documented social connection years ago.