Donald Trump has come under fire from Anonymous after he reiterated his allegation that a man who was wrongfully deported had a gang tattoo in spite of copious evidence to the contrary.

Trump sat down for what was expected to be a historic interview with ABC’s Terry Moran to commemorate his 100th day in office.

However, when Moran, 65, mentioned the Supreme Court’s directive to “facilitate the return” of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, who was deported from Maryland in March due to suspected ties to the MS-13 gang, the 78-year-old President found himself in a downward spiral.

Evidence now reveals that the alleged gang tattoo used to support Garcia’s deportation was, in fact, manipulated. The court decided that Garcia had been unlawfully removed.

Trump was not giving up, though. Not at all.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute. He had MS-13 on his knuckles,” Trump insisted during the interview. “It says MS-13.”

“That was Photoshopped,” Moran calmly replied. You can watch the moment below:

Trump wasn’t having it: “They’re giving you the big break of a lifetime, you know, you’re doing the interview. I picked you because, frankly, I never heard of you, but that’s OK.”

An AI-generated image of Trump golfing with a “MS-13” tattoo showing across his back as his shirt rides up was shared by internet hacktivist collective Anonymous without any delay.

“Apparently, this is a real picture of Trump golfing,” the group wrote sarcastically.

One X user joking replied “Haters will say this is AI,” while another quipped, “Would we call this a Trump Stump?” (a witty reference to a ‘tramp stamp’).

‘MS-13 Tattoo’ That Never Was

Trump had first shared the image of Garcia’s knuckles on 18 April, captioning it, “This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person’.”

“They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found.”

However, there were no gang tattoos visible in that picture.

Simple iconography, including “a leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull,” were shown on each finger in the original image. The word “MS13” had been inserted into the picture as a caption, hovering over them.

And yet, in the ABC interview, Trump still claimed, “It says M-S-1-3.” When Moran tried to clarify, Trump cut him off with, “Don’t do that.”

He pushed on, visibly agitated, even telling Moran, “Why don’t you just say, ‘Yes, he does,’ and, you know, go on to something else.”

Like many other social media users, Garcia’s tattoos were deemed gang emblems by White House spokesperson Kush Desai a day later. Desai, however, remained silent when asked why Trump would not admit to the photoshopping.

Courts vs. Campaign

Garcia has never been officially charged or found guilty of being an MS-13 member.

According to the New York Times, immigration officials asserted that Garcia was a member of the gang based on hazy evidence, including a Chicago Bulls hat, a sweatshirt, and a tip from an unidentified informant who claimed Garcia was associated with a clique in New York, even though he had never resided there.

An immigration judge even decided in 2019 that Garcia shouldn’t be deported because of the possibility of violence or persecution in El Salvador. A work permit was given to him.

More recently, Judge Paula Xinis stated that the so-called “evidence” against him was “nothing more” than unverified hearsay and common clothing.

Despite the court’s injunction, Trump’s administration has begun a full-scale public relations effort, putting lawn signs with the faces and alleged offenses of deported migrants on the White House grounds.

Tattoo Politics

Trump’s immigration team has already used tattoos to portray immigrants as gang members.

Clocks or crowns have been used to identify Venezuelan migrants as belonging to Tren de Aragua. Gang-style tattoos are worth four points, according to a point system developed by Homeland Security. According to The Independent, eight points were sufficient for deportation.

However, particularly in Garcia’s instance, law enforcement authorities have seriously questioned the validity of tattoos as trustworthy gang markers.