The University of Georgia women's tennis team posing with Donald Trump and administration officials. Photograph: Margo Martin on X/Margo Martin on X (@MargoMartin47)View image in fullscreenThe University of Georgia women's tennis team posing with Donald Trump and administration officials. Photograph: Margo Martin on X/Margo Martin on X (@MargoMartin47)‘Worth a thousand words’: Trump photo obscuring women’s tennis team sparks backlashGeorgia players celebrated championship at White House
A White House photo celebrating a champion women’s sports team has drawn backlash due to the positioning of Donald Trump and a group of men, who overshadowed the female athletes by lining up in front of them.
The University of Georgia women’s tennis team was one of several collegiate teams to visit the White House on Wednesday to mark a recent championship win. In a photo shared by press aide Margo Martin, a group of six men, including Donald Trump, took up the front row of a stage setup, with 11 women standing in the background on a riser.
“A photo is worth a thousand words …” former tennis star Martina Navratilova wrote on X.
In a video shared by Martin, Trump approaches the group and shakes the hands of the five men, but does not do the same to the women.
The Georgia team shared the photo on its official account later in the day, with the caption: “An honor to represent the University of Georgia at the White House today! @realDonaldTrump thanks for having us out!”
The image drew comparisons to previous instances in which men have dominated photos at events focused on women’s issues. In 2017, a photo of Trump signing an anti-abortion bill surrounded by eight male staffers in the Oval Office was met with outrage.
