The story behind Donald Trump’s viral U.S. Open photo
A photograph of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Open swallowing a tablet has gone viral, sparking a wave of speculation and commentary online.
The image, taken by veteran photojournalist and Jersey Vindicator contributor Andres Kudacki, shows Trump placing a small blue tablet to his mouth while seated in the stands at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The photo has been circulated widely across social media platforms, generating debates about what the object might have been — a mint, medication, or something else.
Kudacki, who has covered international news and sports events for years, said when he arrived at the stadium Sunday afternoon, he noticed an unusually heavy security presence.
“There was security like never before. I saw a lot of Secret Service people, police cars, police in plain clothes, and motorcades, and then saw a pack of motorcycle police together waiting there,” Kudacki said. “With the extra security measures, I was thinking Trump was coming to see the US Open because he has been to many other sports events. When I was entering, I asked if he was there and was told yes.”
Kudacki was not assigned to cover a tennis match. He thought it would be interesting to capture the crowd’s reactions to Trump or Trump’s reaction to the crowd. so he decided to focus on him. He positioned himself in an area below the main floor, where he spotted the former president.
It was there that Kudacki captured the split-second moment when Trump placed the tablet in his mouth.
“I knew it was a strong picture,” he said. “But I didn’t expect it to go viral or create so much debate.”
After posting the photo to social media, Kudacki returned to shooting inside the stadium. He later photographed Trump sitting in a lounge and departing with his motorcade. By then, the image of the tablet had already spread widely, attracting attention from digital outlets, political commentators, and even late-night TV hosts.
Kudacki said he rarely uses social media beyond Instagram but shared the photo on X, formerly Twitter, after repeated requests.
“For me, it was just a good photo,” he said. “I didn’t imagine it would get this reaction.”
The image has been shared on X/Twitter about three million times and has been picked up by publications including The Daily Beast, underscoring Trump’s continued ability to dominate the spotlight.
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Krystal Knapp is the founder of The Jersey Vindicator and the hyperlocal news website Planet Princeton. Previously she was a reporter at The Trenton Times for a decade.