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 that showed him and several men standing in front of most of the NCAA title-winning athletes.
The photo — divided by White House aide Margo Martin shows several men, university representatives or members of the coaching staff, in the foreground in a social media post congratulating the team.
Trump, flanked by two of the winning women on a raised platform, smiles and gives a thumbs up.
A majority of the players are relegated to the back two rows.
The snap sparked swift reactions from critics on social media, who took particular issue with the fact that men were essentially front and center in the frame.
(It’s worth noting that presidents typically attend the center by photos honoring champion athletes at the White House, but the commander-in-chief and key athletes of those teams are usually seen up front, unlike an all-coach lineup.)
One X user described the photo as the “perfect representation of how Trump celebrates women‘ and another argued that sharing the image is a move that ‘so blatantly bad that it is an attack on good sensibility.”
Top comments in a post on 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 making up a “ridiculous story to sow division as Americans celebrate each other’s great achievements.”
“It is quite clear to anyone with an ounce of common sense that the women’s team is guided by their fantastic coaches,” the spokesperson wrote.
Other photos shared Through Martin by The White House’s celebration of the winning college athletes on Tuesday also puts Trump at the center.
At least in the case of photos with the women’s teams, women usually flank him. There aren’t that many men in the front row of these photos.
UGA Athletic Association, in response to USA Todaysaid it was “honored” that the White House chose to honor the women’s team, adding that it “remains proud of their outstanding success.”
Coach Drake Bernstein, who is pictured to Trump’s right, wrote in a text message to the Athens Banner-Herald (which falls under the USA Today umbrella) that the team was “excited” to represent the university and the state of Georgia in the White House.
“This is a wonderful experience and memory for these young ladies to share for the rest of their lives,” he wrote.
