Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) took to social media Saturday to share a selfie she took with President Donald Trump at the Tennessee-Texas football game, and critics quickly zeroed in on the president’s appearance.
“Welcome to Tennessee, [Trump]!” Blackburn wrote as a caption to the photo, which showed the two in a private suite at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Critics, such as The Bulwark’s Tim Miller, argued that Trump’s appearance seemed off.
“Did not know there was a Madam Tussaud’s in Knoxville,” Miller wrote in response, suggesting Trump bore a resemblance to wax figures produced by the famous chain of wax museums.
Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois wondered aloud why Blackburn decided to share the selfie.
“Good lord why would you post this? You both look awful,” Kinzinger wrote in a social media post on X.
At 80 years old, Trump has faced growing scrutiny regarding his physical and mental health, having been observed exhibiting a number of potential symptoms of various health conditions, including swollen ankles, bruising on his hands and apparent facial drooping.
“The man looks like very weak and distraught. Was a physician present?” asked podcaster Jack Hopkins in a social media post on X to his more than 250,000 followers.
Venture capitalist Samir Kumar took Blackburn’s selfie and edited it using artificial intelligence to depict her and Trump with brown paper bags over their heads, writing that his edited version was “easier on the eyes.” Filmmaker Morgan J. Freeman bluntly asked that Trump, following his visit to Knoxville, “never come back again.”
Did not know there was a Madam Tussaud’s in Knoxville https://t.co/Uss3QNPdzI
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) September 26, 2026