Did Obama Hold a Phone Upside Down for a Photo Op?

A photo shows President Obama talking on a phone, apparently not realizing that he is holding it upside down. Is the photo real or fake?

The image is fake.

The photo was posted apparently as a joke during the 2008 Presidential Primaries, when Obama and Hillary Clinton were in a tight race for their party’s nomination. Let’s take a look at the image in question, which has been circulating since the 2008 election:

As the story often circulated with the photo goes, Obama was posing for a photo op and didn’t realize he was holding the receiver upside down. A popular caption reads:

When you are faking a pose for a photo opportunity with the American Flag… at least get the handset turned in the right direction!!

A clock set to 3:00am was also added to the fake photo, referencing Clinton’s commercial running at the time, which questioned who you would want to be in the White House to take a 3am emergency phone call.

The original image, however, is much less juicy. It seems to have been snapped on November 28, 2007 in a story entitled “Obama and the Locals” with a caption that read, “Obama on the phone with local media in Iowa.”

You may also be interested in these articles:

• Did Obama Salute While Talking on a Cell Phone?
• Does This Photo Show the Obamas Doing a Left-Handed Flag Salute?