Trump’s shocking views on tattoo post unveiled.
President Donald Trump’s sit-down with ABC News turned viral after he doubled down on a controversial image allegedly showing gang tattoos—tattoos experts now say don’t exist.
The man behind the ink confirmed.
Kilmar, a Maryland father, was one of 250 alleged criminals deported en masse to El Salvador’s CECOT supermax prison on April 21.
CECOT, nicknamed the “world’s most extreme prison,” is El Salvador’s controversial facility housing alleged gang affiliates with minimal rights and zero privacy.
Kilmar has publicly denied any affiliation with MS-13. “I’m not part of any gang,” he reportedly told lawyers during his deportation appeal.
Court documents reveal little. Advocates claim García was swept up in a mass deportation effort with scant due process.
Trump’s history With MS-13 recalled.
On April 21, Trump posted a picture of Maryland father Kilmar Armando Ábrego García’s hand—overlayed with bold, typed letters: “M S 1 3”.
When zoomed in, the photo appears to show a mix of symbols—but none that clearly spell out “MS-13” in any traditional gang ink style.
This isn’t Trump’s first MS-13 headline. During his first term, he frequently invoked the gang to push harsh immigration crackdowns.
After Trump left office, the Biden administration rolled back some deportation policies, but recent ICE actions show the trend may be creeping back.
President Nayib Bukele later tweeted an image of García’s hand—without any “MS-13” lettering. The knuckles were, notably, clean.
The unaltered version starkly contrasts Trump’s version, reigniting accusations that the original photo was manipulated for political effect.
Trump’s tattoo claim revealed.
The 78-year-old former president snapped at anchor Terry Moran during the interview, refusing to admit the image he posted might’ve been altered.
“And you think it was photoshopped?” Trump fired back. “No, no, Terry. He had MS-13 as clear as you can be, not interpreted.”
According to Trump, a marijuana leaf stood for “M”, a smiley face for “S”, and a skull and cross for “13”. No actual numbers visible—just vibes.
But those familiar with gang iconography aren’t buying it. A gang interventionist told CBS: “I’ve never seen anything like that used to represent MS-13 in 25 years.”
Viewers quickly clocked that the text didn’t appear to be part of the original ink, accusing Trump of misleading the public using a doctored image.
“This is why people don’t believe the news anymore,” Trump barked. “You do such a disservice.”
Despite evidence to the contrary, Trump insisted: “He has MS-13 on his knuckles. Okay?”
Despite mounting scrutiny, the original post remains on Trump’s account without any clarifying update or correction.
When Moran gently pushed back, calling the image “photoshopped,” Trump interrupted repeatedly: “Why don’t you just say ‘yes he does’ and move on?”
Reactions to Trump’s antics clarified.
Reddit users were brutal. “Dude gave him a million chances to not look like an absolute idiot,” one wrote.
“Like I just assumed they’d say it was a translation,” another said. “But he thinks it literally says MS-13 in Times New Roman.”
Trump’s post garnered thousands of reactions, sparking debates on the ethics of presenting altered images as fact.
In comment sections across platforms, Trump loyalists insist the tattoos are real—some even calling critics “blind to the truth.”
“He’s weaponizing a false narrative to demonize immigrants,” one community activist told CBS anonymously for safety reasons.
Digital forensics experts say the “M S 1 3” text was most likely added post-capture, superimposed in a basic photo-editing tool.
The incident comes at a time when border policy and immigration enforcement are dominating headlines ahead of the 2024 election.
Clips of the ABC interview have been viewed over 10 million times, with many viewers cringing at Trump’s insistence.
One media critic asked, “If the tattoos were real, why did they need to add anything? The image should speak for itself.”
Trump’s tattoo theory sparks new debate.
Kilmar Abrego García, a previously unknown Maryland father, is now the face of a political storm he didn’t ask to be part of.
Are digital edits the new battleground in politics? With Truth Social posts being taken as fact, the line between media and propaganda is blurrier than ever.
With no apology in sight, and Trump doubling down, the tattoo saga is less about ink—and more about influence, optics, and the truth we choose to believe.