London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 04, 2026

GQ Magazine gives Joe Biden the virtual 'makeover' nobody asked for

GQ Magazine gives Joe Biden the virtual 'makeover' nobody asked for

After four quiet years, Joe Biden’s return to the White House has woken America’s lifestyle writers from their hibernation, and they’re ready to shine his shoes with cringe-inducing content once more.

For the news industry, former president Donald Trump was good for business. His off-the-cuff remarks, personal feuds, and never-ending parade of scandals sold newspapers by the boatload and kept millions of eyes glued to cable TV. As journalists rushed to dig up dirt on the bombastic president, and every week broke new stories predicting his imminent downfall, one group of writers were left out in the cold: America’s lifestyle and fashion commentators.

These writers – who spent the Obama years gushing about Barack’s fondness for basketball and Michelle’s “sparkling” fashion sense – were no longer fascinated with the human side of the president after 2016. Donald Trump’s personal habits were only newsworthy when they inspired revulsion, and though Melania Trump was a model, her fashion only attracted attention when it could be portrayed as racist.

With Joe Biden in charge, these writers are once again ready to resume service, and men’s fashion magazine GQ has led the charge, giving Biden a virtual makeover on Tuesday so over-the-top that it read like a bizarre inversion of parody.


The magazine photoshopped Biden into a number of all-American outfits, including a cowboy getup best suited to chasing an “overinflated orange rodeo clown” out of the White House, a preppy ensemble that serves up “those sweet Ivy League goods,” a James Dean-esque outfit that channels the “improbably handsome cad that is a young Joe Biden.”

“There’s more to Joe Biden’s personal approach to dressing than simply sticking on a suit that has been designed by one of his equally venerable countrymen,” the article read. “Indeed, over the years, Biden has developed a flair for sporting pretty much every genre in the broad canon of American style.”

The article wasn’t the only glowing story that GQ treated Biden to in recent weeks.

To GQ, Biden’s choice of Ralph Lauren at his inauguration last month signaled that “his are a safe pair of hands with which to entrust the highest office in the Western world,” and showcased his “dependability, strength and self-assurance.” The face mask he wears in public is “ultra elegant,” while his inauguration merchandise“trumps all former presidential gear.”

Despite the blarneying tone, one can’t really fault GQ for obsessing over Biden’s aesthetic. It is a fashion magazine after all, and would be out of place reporting on the finer details of his executive orders or his commitment to keep troops in Afghanistan. However, outlets that should be covering such facets of his presidency have indulged themselves in some lifestyle journalism themselves, from CNN previewing his inauguration playlist, to reporters clamoring to reveal his favorite flavor of milkshake, to the New York Post switching from publishing the controversial contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop to gushing over Vice President Kamala Harris’ “power dressing” style.

Biden’s first week in office saw CNN and MSNBC suffer a precipitous drop in ratings. Holding Trump’s feet to the flames may have boosted these networks for four years, but their viewers evidently have no interest, and their reporters no intention, of giving Biden the same treatment. Whether the new president’s suits can keep GQ readers transfixed for four years remains to be seen.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Introduces Stricter Subcontractor Checks and Expanded Trade Union Access
Green Party Proposes Three-Year Emergency Freeze on Private Rent Increases
UK Treasury Committee Seeks Tax Clarification Over Manchester City Investigation
Royal Marines Deploy to Faroe Islands for Northern European Security Exercise
UK Business Confidence Weakens as High Costs Delay Investment
UK GDP Growth Revised Up to 0.5% in Second Quarter
Bank of England Warns of Financial Stability Risks From Autonomous AI
UK Expands Early Prisoner Release Scheme to Ease Overcrowding
UK Records Worst Bluetongue Outbreak on Record Across Livestock Farms
UK Government Faces Shrinking Fiscal Headroom Ahead of October 28 Budget
UK 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 6% as Energy Shock Drives Borrowing Costs Higher
Church of England to Apologize for Role in Historical Forced Adoptions
UK Defence Ministry Investigates Historical Use of RAF Bases by Jeffrey Epstein
Scottish Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low
Welsh First Minister Calls for Expanded Devolution Settlement
UK Pledges £50 Million to Expand Domestic Military Drone Capabilities
UK Opens First Commercial Geothermal Plant in Cornwall
Green Party Wins Gorton and Denton By-Election as Labour Falls to Third
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Opens Review of UK-EU Relationship
UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%, Adding Pressure on Household Finances
UK Removes VAT From Domestic Electricity Bills to Ease Winter Energy Costs
Counterterrorism Police Arrest Sixth Suspect Over RAF Fairford Incident
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Chancellor John Healey Faces Tax and Pension Scrutiny Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Apologise for Accidental Disclosure in High-Profile Investigation
UK Universities Report Record International Enrolment as Housing Pressure Grows
UK Logistics Firms Monitor Rhine Disruption as Low Water Threatens European Supply Chains
UK Food Industry Warns Inflation Could Approach 7%
UK Introduces Vaping Duty and Mandatory Retail Stamps
Scotland Raises Property Taxes and Expands Child Payment in Annual Budget
Greggs Plans Four Factory Closures With 740 Jobs at Risk
OECD Raises UK 2026 Growth Forecast to 1.1%
UK Inflation Rises to 3.1% as Bank of England Faces Rate Debate
Andy Burnham Criticises Brexit and Says Rejoining EU Single Market Remains an Option
UK Imposes New Sanctions on Russian Military Networks and Propagandists
UK Launches Nationwide Early-Release Prison Scheme
Andy Burnham Says Security Services See Signs of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Incident
Manchester City Found Guilty on Premier League Financial Charges After Independent Investigation
Scottish Court to Rule on Bid to Force No-Confidence Vote Against Aberdeen Council Co-Leader
UK Bans Extra Charges for Seating Children Under 12 Beside Accompanying Adults
UK Introduces Vaping Duty and New Licensing Requirements
Greggs to Close Four UK Factories and Cut 740 Jobs
Hundreds of Prisoners Released Early as England and Wales Prisons Reach 98% Capacity
UK Unveils New Russia Sanctions Targeting War Funding and Shadow Fleet
Burnham Says There Are Strong Indications of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Security Breach
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Reviewing Britain's Post-Brexit EU Relationship
Markets Price in Bank of England Rate Increases as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Borrowing Costs Climb Toward 5.5% as Global Bond Sell-Off Intensifies
UK-France One-In-One-Out Migration Agreement Expires as London Seeks Alternative Measures
Southwest England Faces Flood Alerts After Heavy Autumn Storms
×