No, Melania Trump did not read programme upside down at Jimmy Carter’s funeral

An edited photo circulating on social media appears to show Melania Trump reading a programme upside down at the funeral service for former US president Jimmy Carter on 9 January 2025.

The photo shows Ms Trump alongside her husband, President Donald Trump, and she is holding what is likely to be a programme (or an order of service) open in her hands. The seal on the programme’s front page is visible in her right hand, making it look as though the programme is being read upside down.

It has been shared with the caption: “One of the best moments from this morning is Melania pretending to read her program, upside-down,” [sic] while other posts include an arrow pointing to the programme alongside text saying “upside-down”. 

But this photo has been edited. One post shows the photo uncropped which includes an  NBC logo and banner, and appears to be a screenshot from NBC News’ livestream of the service. 

But live footage from NBC’s livestream of the event from the exact moment depicted in the posts shows the page in her right hand is blank—without the seal—at the exact moment captured in the image on social media.

Moreover, another photo taken from a different angle also shows Mrs Trump reading the programme the correct way round. 

We’ve seen many other examples of edited photos of public figures and politicians, including President Trump, former US Vice President Kamala Harris, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, among others. It’s important to consider whether something is genuine before sharing. Our guide to spotting misleading images may help you to do this.

You can find more of our work checking claims relating to the US here.