Fact Check: Is image of Trump yelling at Pete Hegseth in Oval Office real?

WASHINGTON, DC: In early March, a rumor circulated online claiming that an image showed President Donald Trump pointing and yelling at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office.

The alleged photo showed the pair through double doors, including a small glimpse of the historic Resolute Desk. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Image shows Trump yelling at Pete Hegseth in Oval Office

Social media users shared the alleged picture in the hours and days after the US-Israel airstrikes that targeted Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others.

An X user wrote while sharing the image, "Congratulations to the United States for once again being dragged into a war dominated by Israel. Attacking Iran offers no tangible benefits to the US, but will instead drive up oil prices and fuel inflation."

"Moreover, it will exact a heavy toll, including attacks on US military bases and even strikes against aircraft carrier strike groups. It is abundantly clear that Israel is the driving force behind this war, while the United States serves merely as Israel's lapdog," the post added.

Similarly, another X post mentioned, "BREAKING: Iran claims 560 US military personnel killed. That’s probably why Trump was angry & yelling at Hegseth."

The post further circulated on other social media platforms, such as Threads.

Fact Check: False, image was created using AI tool

The claims made in online posts are false, as the image shared online was fake and was created with an artificial intelligence (AI) tool. The image was first featured in a YouTube video by YouTuber Keith Edwards on December 4, 2025.

Interestingly, the YouTuber's other videos also featured AI-generated thumbnail images of Donald Trump and other prominent US politicians.

Moreover, Searches on search engines, such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Google, showed no news media outlets reporting. If it were true, it would be a widely covered photo. The viral image also showed the real Oval Office having a single exterior door, not double doors, as shown in the fake picture. 

Similarly, reverse image searches showed many posts where internet users shared the inauthentic photo. A Threads user posted the image on March 1 with the caption, "The Iran war seems to be going great, I see." 

The post was tagged with a community note that contained information about the image's dated origins but did not reveal the fake photo's source on YouTube.

Interestingly, the user later posted, "DISCLAIMER: There are reports that this photo is old or possibly edited. Others are saying it is AI. I welcome all analysis. However, I'm leaving it up for now because it's hilarious."