Barbera Thornhill has been named as a new chief in Donald Trump’s State Department, but it is not her job that has sparked a debate online – social media users are discussing her appearance after a picture of her face was shared by Assistant Secretary Riley Barnes.
Thornhill was revealed as the next director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking. Officially called an Ambassador at Large, she took up the position after a vote in the Senate this summer.
Viral picture and online reactions
Barnes, a Republican official at the Department of State, posted a portrait of Thornhill with a caption that read: ‘Ambassador Thornhill, welcome to the team. I’m proud to have such a dedicated leader join us as Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Human trafficking is a grave human rights issue and a transnational crime exploiting men, women, and children for profit. We will continue to go after traffickers, protect survivors, and deliver justice for the American people.’
Online trolls joked about her eyebrows, with many saying she looked ‘surprised’ by the announcement. On Reddit, her picture was posted in a thread about ‘botched’ plastic surgery where people speculated about possible operations. Others have questioned her suitability for the role.
Background and career
Thornhill, who is believed to be in her 70s, is based in Los Angeles and has worked as the president of an interior design firm, Impact Design. She is said to have donated thousands of dollars to Trump and JD Vance’s inaugural committee over the past two years, according to BuzzFeed.
Over the years, she has been spotted at galas and fashion events across LA, and Thornhill has been linked to several charities and philanthropic causes helping children in poverty. She has previously said she lived and worked with Mother Teresa in India in 1994. In 2019, Trump nominated her to become the US ambassador to Singapore, but the move was withdrawn when Joe Biden became the president.
Criticism and comparisons
Campaigners and pressure groups working against human trafficking have criticised her nomination. PACT (Protect All Children from Trafficking) welcomed the nomination but added that ‘while having engaged in meaningful philanthropic and civic engagement on behalf of vulnerable children in Los Angeles and India, Ms. Thornhill does not bring significant experience engaging in federal anti-trafficking policy.’
Thornhill has been compared to Susan Dell, the wife of billionaire Michael Dell, the 5th wealthiest person in the world, who has pledged major funding for the so-called ‘Trump Accounts’ for US children. Images of Susan standing next to Trump in the Oval Office went viral last week, sparking speculation about her political aspirations.
Comments focused on her physical appearance accused her of having the so-called ‘Mar-a-Lago’ face, named after Trump’s Florida golf course and marked by excessive filler and visible plastic surgery. Other new appointees in Trump’s orbit have also come under fire. Katie Zacharia, 41, took the podium for the first time as Trump’s new press secretary since the departure of Karoline Leavitt. But her role was off to a rocky start as she flipped through her notes and stumbled over her words, even mixing up a reference to her husband with the president.
