Does This Photo Show the Obamas Doing a Left-Handed Flag Salute?

Is this photo showing Barack and Michelle Obama saluting the flag with their left hands real or fake?

The photo has been reversed.

In a time when photos are easily Photoshopped, one must look at photo such as this one with scrutiny before making a judgement. This particular image has been circulating for several years, and even though others have attempted to debunk the story, it continues to show up on social media websites.

The fake variant is a flipped version of the original photo. Wedding rings are superimposed on their hands, and the flag pin has been moved from one of Obama’s lapels to the other. Other details, however, were ignored, such as Michelle’s hair being parted on the wrong side and Barack’s reversed jacket buttons.

One caption included with the photo recently read:

You’ve gotta love this one! Look how painful their expressions are! Remember the time Michelle leaned over and said to him “All this…for a Flag??” during a 911 commemoration with soldiers folding the flag? To top it off in this photo, they don’t even know which side their heart is on! They’re BOTH doing it backwards! Jeeze Louweeze…please explain to me how any Liberal can possibly defend this behavior as normal?

Another version reads:
Just LOOK at how painful it is for them! AND, using the wrong hand! No, I didn’t reverse the photo. (See the wedding rings?)

While the caption implies their pained expression is a sign that they didn’t want to participate in the flag salute, this photo was actually taken on September 11, 2009, during a ceremony honoring the victims of the September 11th attacks. This somber demeanor would seem appropriate at such an event.

Below are some other angles of the same event, which clearly shows the Obamas saluting with their right hands.

 

Bottom Line

The photo showing Barack and Michelle Obama saluting the flag with the wrong hands is fake, having been reversed from the original image.