London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Feb 23, 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 Economy Faces Acute Strain as Trump’s Global Tariff Reshapes Trade Landscape
UK Signals Retaliation Is Possible as New US Tariff Policy Threatens Trade Stability
British Police Arrest Former Ambassador Peter Mandelson in Epstein-Related Misconduct Probe
Australia Officially Supports Proposal to Remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from Royal Succession
Diverging Polls Show Mixed Signals on UK Economic Revival as Confidence Remains Fragile
Spotify Expands AI-Driven ‘Prompted Playlists’ Feature to the United Kingdom and Other Markets
Greens and Reform UK Surge in Manchester By-Election, Threatening Labour’s Historic Stronghold
UK Businesses Push for Closer European Trade Links Amid Renewed US Tariff Uncertainty
Deloitte Global Overhaul Sparks Leadership Contest in the United Kingdom
University of Kentucky and Microsoft to Showcase Campus-Wide AI Innovation
UK Food System Faces Acute Vulnerability to Shocks, Experts Warn
Reform UK’s Proposed ICE-Style Deportation Scheme Triggers Sharp Backlash
U.S. Global Tariff Push Leaves Britain, Australia and Others Facing Higher Costs and Trade Strain
UK Police Officers Guarded 2010 Epstein Dinner Attended by Prince Andrew, Reports Say
US Trade Representative Affirms Commitment to Existing Tariff Agreements with UK and Other Partners
Activists at the Louvre hung a framed Reuters photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor slumped in the back of a car leaving a police station on the day of his arrest
The royal biographer said that he expected the police to 'look at the money trail' - including Sarah Ferguson borrowing money from Epstein
A Protestor screams in NYC: “Bill Gates is on the Epstein’s List…”
FBI and Secret Service Hold Press Conference After Shooting Incident at Mar-a-Lago
Mark Zuckerberg Testifies in Trial Over Social Media's Impact on Children's Mental Health
Maggie Oliver exposes Keir Starmer using letters to close child rapists investigations
Kouri Richie's wrote a children’s book to help her sons grieve the death of their father. Now she’ll stand trial for his murder
New York Braces for Major Snowstorm With Up to 18 Inches Forecast and Blizzard Warnings Issued
Mexican Military Kills CJNG Leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes as Violence Erupts Across Jalisco
Metropolitan Police Deploys Palantir-Powered AI to Flag Potential Officer Misconduct
UK Parliament Rebukes Police Over Ban on Israeli Football Fans
Britain Emerges Among a Small Group of Nations Without a Religious Majority
UK’s Manufacturing Base at Risk as Soaring Energy Costs Weigh on Industry
Matt Goodwin’s Unconventional Campaign for Reform UK in the Gorton and Denton By-Election
US Military Movements in the UK Spark Speculation Over Preparations Related to Iran Tensions
UK Faces Significant Economic Risk From Trump’s New Global Tariff Regime
UK Defence Secretary Signals Intent to Deploy British Troops to Ukraine
UK Students Mark Lunar New Year as Universities Adjust to New Equality Compliance Rules
UK Government Weighs Removing Prince Andrew from Line of Succession After Arrest
Prince Andrew’s Arrest in UK Rekindles Scrutiny Over US Handling of Epstein Records
Trump’s Strategic Warning to UK Over Chagos Islands Deal Sparks Diplomatic Whiplash
Starmer Government Postpones Local Elections Affecting 4.5 Million Voters
UK Economy Remains Fragile Despite Recent Upturn in Headline Indicators
UK Businesses Face Fresh Uncertainty Following US Tariff Ruling
Reform UK’s Senior Figures Face Scrutiny Over Remarks on Women and Family Policy
UK Electric Vehicle Drive Threatened by Shortage of 44,000 Qualified Technicians
University of Kentucky Trustees Advance Academic Reforms and Approve Coliseum Plaza Purchase
Boris Johnson Calls for Immediate Deployment of UK Troops to Support Ukraine
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
North Korea's capital experiences a significant construction boom with the development of a new city district dubbed 'Pyonghattan'.
New electric vehicle charging service eliminates waiting times
Vox Populi confronts Justin Trudeau at Davos over vaccination policies
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki ENDS support for Ukrainian citizens:
The mayor of Rotherham in Britain
One day after ex-Prince Andrew's arrest, British police are searching his former home, while U.K. lawmakers will consider introducing legislation to remove him from the line of royal succession
×