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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries faced a torrent of ridicule on social media this Wednesday after he shared an image intended to celebrate the New York Knicks’ long-awaited return to the NBA Finals. This momentous occasion marks their first finals appearance in 27 years.
However, rather than focusing on the Knicks’ achievement, the conversation shifted quickly to the Brooklyn Democrat’s altered appearance in the image. The photo, showcasing Jeffries in an all-white Knicks hat, seemed noticeably edited. Observers noted changes that appeared to smooth out age lines, enhance his jawline, and refine his cheekbones, leading to a flood of comments and critiques.
Among the many who pointed out his photo’s digital alterations, Sarah Gallagher, an aide for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, took to social platform X to highlight the edits. She humorously remarked, “[B]abe wake up hakeem jeffries [sic] is using facetune [sic] again.” Her lighthearted jab was echoed by others, including GOP communications consultant Alex Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer, who previously served as a principal deputy communications director at the White House, quipped, “Hakeem Jeffries looks like a JV baseball coach going through marital troubles.”
The criticism wasn’t confined to X, as Jeffries’ Instagram post also attracted a barrage of similarly blunt and biting comments. At 55, Jeffries may have intended to share in the excitement of the Knicks’ success, but the conversation quickly veered into unexpected territory.
The 55-year-old’s Instagram comments were no less vicious.
“How many AI photos are you gonna post,” asked one user, while another pronounced the image: “Just bizarre.”
Still another user accused Jeffries of trying to mush his hometown team, writing: “No. Do not do this. Do not put your lobbyist-approved, corporate liberal, cheugy ass stink on this team. Leave it alone congressman.”
The photo fail came almost a full year after Jeffries was called out for posting an obviously doctored photo of himself on Instagram, in which a bench he was standing against was wildly warmed around his hips in a failed bid to make him appear taller.