Overview

• The State Department circulated the image showing Donald Trump, Melania Trump and King Felipe VI smiling, with Trump giving a thumbs-up.
• The photograph was taken Tuesday night at the Lotte New York Palace during a reception for heads of state attending the UN General Assembly.
• The release followed earlier publication of pictures with other leaders, and officials did not explain the four-day lag.
• Outlets noted that comparable images in prior years were posted the same night, highlighting how atypical the timing was.
• Felipe VI returned to the UN after nine years and delivered a government-approved speech condemning civilian deaths in Gaza as a “masacre,” underscoring ongoing policy differences with the United States.