In reality, the photo shared by Trump adviser Margo Martin shows no such pro-Putin cap. The image clearly depicts Trump holding a standard red hat with the slogan «4 More Years,» while the rest of the hats in view carry only his own campaign messaging. The viral version featuring the «I Love Putin» inscription is a doctored fake, likely produced using photo-editing software or an AI tool.
Posts circulating on social media claim to show a White House tour in which President Donald Trump allegedly displayed his collection of caps to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron. According to this version, one of the hats bore the inscription «I love Putin.» The image is said to have been taken on August 18 during Trump’s meeting with Zelensky and European leaders.
In reality, the photo making the rounds online was digitally altered, likely through graphic editing software or AI tools. The authentic image was posted on August 19 by Trump communications adviser Margo Martin. Her caption read: «President @realDonaldTrump showing President Zelenskyy and President Macron his 4 More Years hat.»
In the authentic photograph, Donald Trump is seen holding a red cap emblazoned with «4 More Years» from his collection. Other caps on display feature slogans such as «Make America Great Again», «Trump 2028», «4 More Years», and «Gulf of America».
This collection of caps has been on display for other White House visitors as well. On August 8, 2025, after hosting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a video surfaced showing Trump presenting the same lineup. In the footage, caps reading «Trump 2028» and «4 More Years» are clearly visible, with Trump even inviting his guests to pick whichever one they preferred.
The display sparked considerable attention in U.S. media, as the slogans «Trump 2028» and «4 More Years» echo the former president’s past musings about seeking a third term. That prospect remains constitutionally barred: under the 22nd Amendment, no individual may be elected to the office of the president more than twice.
Fabricated images like this are part of a broader playbook aimed at discrediting political leaders and manufacturing the appearance of hidden loyalties or ties. StopFake has previously debunked similar claims, including a viral falsehood alleging that U.S. fighter jets traced a star in the skies over Alaska «in honor of Putin.»
