Barbera Thornhill, Trump’s new ambassador to combat human trafficking, went viral on Tuesday. The reasons was her official photo, which drew millions of views and comments about her appearance.
Donald Trump’s new ambassador to combat human trafficking has gone viral, but the attention isn’t on her new job.
On Tuesday, October 13, Assistant Secretary of State Riley Barnes announced Barbera Thornhill, 78, as the new Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. “Human trafficking is a grave human rights issue and a transnational crime exploiting men, women, and children for profit,” Barnes wrote. “We will continue to go after traffickers, protect survivors, and deliver justice for the American people.”
Instead of her role, social media users focused on her official photo, which quickly reached 20.8 million views. Several people questioned whether it was real. “This is a real picture?” one person asked. “There is something very wrong with this pic,” another wrote and another added: “This is the weirdest US administration in history. They’re like the cast of characters from a Tim Burton movie.”
The online response has been compared to what happened to Susan Dell after her October 7 White House appearance with her husband, Michael Dell. The couple discussed their $6.25 billion pledge to children’s investment accounts, but as clips spread, people commented on her appearance and mannerisms instead. When older photos of her resurfaced some even refused to believe it was the same person.
Michael Dell responded by sharing messages from people who condemned the attacks. Eric Trump also defended her. “People are awful,” he wrote. “Very few people have done more for philanthropy. It’s disgusting, and it has to stop.”
Cruel or not, social media users have started using the term “MAGA face” for the way some women in Trump’s circle look, naming Thornhill, Susan Dell and Small Business Administration chief Kelly Loeffler amongst others.
Who is Barbera Thornhill?
Thornhill was president of the interior design firm Impact Design in Los Angeles, according to Metro. Over the years she has attended many galas and fashion events in California and has been linked to charities that help children in poverty.
Trump first nominated her as ambassador to Singapore in 2019, but that nomination lapsed when Joe Biden became president. He nominated her again in May for the trafficking role.
Over the past two years, she has made substantial donations to the inaugural committee of Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Her appointment has drawn criticism from anti-trafficking groups, who have questioned whether her background prepared her for the job. The group PACT (Protect All Children from Trafficking) welcomed the nomination but said: “While having engaged in meaningful philanthropic and civic engagement on behalf of vulnerable children in Los Angeles and India, Ms. Thornhill does not bring significant experience engaging in federal anti-trafficking policy.”
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