Trump's Major Hairstyle Change Is Raising Eyebrows

President Donald Trump is notoriously vain, so when he stepped out with a new hairdo on July 14, 2020, people were rightfully wondering what's going on with him. 

The president spoke from the White House Rose Garden on a variety of topics, including why he believes his approach to climate change should be celebrated and why he thinks China should be blamed for the coronavirus and punished for its treatment of protestors in Hong Kong. Trump also claimed his Democratic opponent Joe Biden would "abolish the suburbs," though it seems literally no one understands what the president meant by that. It was supposed to be a news conference, though Trump only spent six of the 63-minute appearance taking questions from reporters, per The New York Times. 

During his event, folks following along on social media noticed there was something a little ... different about the normally-put-together president. His hair appeared grayer than usual, and that seemingly minor detail raised a lot of eyebrows.

It should come as no surprise that Donald Trump has at least some grey hair, considering he's in his seventies, yet his signature style is one of his trademarks — the combover, the color, the whole look is instantly recognizable. According to author Michael Wolff's book, Fire and The Fury, the president's famous golden locks are sort of a fluke: "The color, [Ivanka Trump] would point out to comical effect, was from a product called Just for Men — the longer it was left on, the darker it got. Impatience resulted in Trump's orange-blond hair color." 

Trump boasted about his look to Rolling Stone in 2011. "OK, what I do is, wash it with Head and Shoulders. I don't dry it, though. I let it dry by itself. It takes about an hour," he said. Trump added, "Yes, I do use a comb. Do I comb it forward? No, I don't comb it forward. I actually don't have a bad hairline. When you think about it, it's not bad. I mean, I get a lot of credit for comb-overs. But it's not really a comb-over. It's sort of a little bit forward and back. I've combed it the same way for years. Same thing, every time." 

So yes, Trump's hair matters to him, which is why it's a point of conversation when he deviates from the norm. Trump's noticeably grey hair during his Rose Garden address on July 14, 2020 (pictured right) certainly raised eyebrows, and theories abound about the new 'do.

Many followers have noted that Donald Trump's hair appears greyer than usual and that his, um, tan, appears a tad lighter. 

One Twitter use wrote: "YO I GUESS THEY STOPPED DYING TRUMPS HAIR CUZ ITS FULLY GREY NOW???? WATCH THEM TRY TO SAY HE'S GREYING FROM BEING SUCH A 'MATURE PRESIDENT.'" Another added, "So is NO ONE going to talk about the elephant in the room here???????? When did Trump decide to tone down the spray tan and embrace his grey hair?!"

Some wonder if Trump is trying to adjust his look because 2020 is an election year or if there is some other motive behind the eyebrow-raising adjustment. It could just be that the president ran out of Just for Men or his stylist was busy. (COVID-19 hair issues have certainly become a thing.) Theories abound, including one that suggests the president may be trying to look like his challenger, Joe Biden.

One Twitter theorist surmised that Trump "knows he probably can't beat Biden so he's now trying to emulate him..? The mask, the grey hair, etc. I'm just waiting for the aviators next." 

One of the more entertaining possibilities concerning President Donald Trump's new hair ties back to American history, as some experts believe the New York native has taken a page out of George Washington's playbook.

Historian Alexis Coe, author of The New York Times bestseller You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, spoke with Vogue in March 2020 about how Trump's greying hair is reminiscent of the first president's locks during hard times.

"What I think might be happening is a kind of manipulation of the American public in which he is attempting to show citizens that he is suffering as well," Coe said, noting how Washington highlighted his aging at the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. "Gentlemen, you must pardon me, for I have grown not only gray but blind in the service of my country," Washington said in a speech at the time, according to The New York Times.

It seems unlikely as, Coe acknowledged, the president shows little interest in American history. But who knows, Trump could still emerge wearing a powdered wig in the coming months, or unveil a painting of himself crossing the Delaware River by boat. And whatever the reason, everyone knows Trump keeps close tabs on Twitter, so he'll likely address all those tweets about his tresses soon enough.