A widely shared photograph purporting to show a group of past U.S. presidents and their spouses at former First Lady Barbara Bush’s funeral has sparked debate over its authenticity, particularly regarding the presence of Donald and Melania Trump.

The image in question quickly gained prominence online after being captured by photographer Paul Morse during a gathering preceding the funeral service on April 21, 2018, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. According to KCBD news reports, the photo was initially taken before the event began and then organized for publication.

However, shortly after it went viral, attention shifted from the historic nature of the group assembled – including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Jimmy Carter alongside their spouses, with Ivanka Trump also present as a captioned note indicated – to an anomaly within the image: the conspicuous absence of Donald Trump’s wife, Melania.

KCBD received reports that the Lubbock County Democratic Party Headquarters had posted a version of the photo missing Mrs. Trump. Contacting officials about this omission revealed their explanation was initially framed as “an honest mistake.” When asked why they cropped the picture to exclude her, officials cited that someone might have accidentally taken or shared an incorrect photograph.

Following follow-up inquiries by KCBD after the initial media attention, the post was corrected with an apology acknowledging the error and removing references to President Trump.