After a widely mocked Photoshop blunder that left a bizarre warp around his hip in a social media image, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is now scrambling to bring on a new digital aide. The embarrassing editing fail raised eyebrows and fueled criticism of the Democrats' increasingly artificial approach to public image and messaging. Now, rather than owning the gaffe, Jeffries seems more focused on damage control and hiring fresh digital help to clean up the mess.
Jeffries is bringing in reinforcements after a botched Photoshop attempt turned him into a political punchline. Determined not to repeat the mistake, he's now hiring a “dynamic and highly skilled” digital manager to oversee future photo shoots and digital content.
“The Digital Manager will be primarily responsible for transforming the Leader’s on-camera content into compelling, high-impact video, audio , and visual content for online platforms,” the job posting read, adding that the ideal candidate “understands the digital media landscape.”
Hakeem Jeffries slimming himself in Photoshop is the most transparency we’ve seen from Democrats in years pic.twitter.com/OFOiOm65OC
— Erin Maguire (@ErinMMaguire) July 7, 2025
In July, Jeffries shared a photo of himself leaning against a bench in Brooklyn, captioned "Home Sweet Home." But sharp-eyed viewers quickly spotted an obvious Photoshop fail; the bench behind him appeared warped around his hip, suggesting a clumsy attempt at digital editing. The image sparked widespread ridicule, with some comparing the distorted bench to a "Salvador Dalí painting" and fitness influencer John Dorsey dubbing Jeffries a “massive clown.” The Democrat quietly deleted the photo shortly after the backlash erupted.