Public displays of affection between Donald and Melania Trump are rare, which made their recent on-stage kiss and hand-holding moment especially noteworthy. The White House amplified the moment by posting photos on its official X account, but instead of calming speculation about their marriage, the images sparked even more debate online. Many users accused the administration of staging the moments as a form of public relations “damage control.”

Rumors about the couple’s strained relationship have persisted for years. Reports from journalists such as Michael Wolff have suggested that Melania “hates” her husband, while a New York Times report stated she had spent only 14 days at the White House since January. These details contributed to long-standing speculation about dissatisfaction in the marriage.

Yet in the past week, the couple appeared unusually affectionate in public. During the signing of the “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families” executive order, Donald Trump kissed Melania and praised her warmly. The White House later posted a photo of the kiss with the caption “I can’t help falling in love with you,” followed by another image of the couple holding hands, captioned “America’s power couple.”

However, these posts came at a delicate time. Donald Trump has once again drawn attention for his past association with Jeffrey Epstein after more than 20,000 pages of documents were released from Epstein’s estate. One email referenced Trump directly, escalating controversy.

Trump labeled the documents a “manufactured hoax,” yet he also urged House Republicans to vote to release them. This contradictory messaging drew further scrutiny, increasing the perception of political turbulence.

The White House’s affectionate posts were quickly criticized across social media. Many users mocked the attempt to present unity, calling it “the worst attempt at damage control” and joking that the rare affectionate moment looked suspiciously staged.