The Tale of Two Images: Donald Trump and Kate Middleton

We live in a 24-hour news cycle and still, news is always breaking. Or let me put this into the double negative—news is never not breaking. Regardless, certain stories rise above the fray. Some matters are more newsworthy than others. They capture our attention and characterize our conversation....and they should. We listen and lean in to learn more. We seek to understand. We celebrate and grieve. We question and ponder. How do you make sense of current events? What helps you process?

I talk to people I trust. I listen to podcasts and read from certain web sources. Social media offers information (and misinformation), video reels and reports and photographs. Images are not in short supply and yet, like the news stories, certain ones capture a moment or a feeling. They stay with us and have helped me make sense of the world today. Such is the story of two contrasting pictures that punctuated news of this past weekend. They feature two very different events and people: Donald Trump and Princess Catherine.

The first was taken following the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening on July 13, 2024.

After shots were fired by the lone gun man, Trump was immediately rushed offstage to his motorcade, with blood visible on his right ear and streaking across his cheek. He pumped his fists and shouted “Fight!” to the crowd before being driven away. This image quickly emerged as the visual cover to this story. Many of his supporters continue to promulgate it for the message its sends is unapologetic. 

In my class, I offer a number of definitions of the word "spiritual" or "spirituality." A fair question to ask is Is this image spiritual? Strangely enough, I think it is.

I see a man who is downright defiant. He was given a chance to defer to the secret service—to emerge vulnerable and show fear. Instead, he makes a point to react with resistance. He is not humble; he is angry. Perhaps his approach appeals to you. It's possible that you want a Commander in Chief like this. I think it could be different. What do you see?

According to Ron Rohlheiser, spirituality how we channel our longings—our eros. It is a powerful force. It is not always "kumbaya," or static or staid. This image is spiritual because it lends insight into DJT's desire....and desire is not always a good thing.

Less than 24 hours later, a very different image emerged as Kate Middleton walked into Centre Court at the Wimbledon Championship. As written in People

As they took their seats in the front row of the Royal Box, the crowd rose to their feet, giving Princess Kate a standing ovation. Princess Charlotte beamed with pride at her mom, who waved with a smile, visibly moved. The applause resonated deeply, marking a rare and emotional public appearance for Kate amid her cancer treatment.

Karwai Tang, the photographer who captured the sweet moment, tells PEOPLE: “When [Kate] usually comes in, she walks down the steps and into her seat. She doesn’t normally stand and wave. But she stood for a while and took it all in. For her to acknowledge it and take in the applause was special."

She could have really extended the applause (see the reel and you will notice this moment is brief). Instead, she chose to take a seat and let the day be about the competition. In this moment, it's hard to see Kate as anything other than a mom, a sister, and a beloved public figure. I think the tears that filled my eyes as I watched this unfold confirm that it too, it spiritual.

Tennis fans like me wondered if she would make it to the tourney. With her husband and son in Germany for the EuroCup finals to support England, Kate, her sister Pippa and daughter Charlotte had a great girls' day out. Would have been awesome for them to be at the women's final as well. With Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova in the stands, tennis royalty was there instead. Here's to next year.

In her own unassuming way, Kate is a powerful force. Her smile, humility and kindness magnify her beauty. What do you see?

The image of Donald Trump doesn't tell the story of the two lives lost on that day. I listened to the New York Times' "The Daily" podcast, The attempted assassination of Donald Trump. to make more sense of it all.

As the synopsis states: "Doug Mills, a photographer for The Times, recounts what it was like to witness the shooting, and Glenn Thrush, who covers gun violence for The Times, discusses the state of the investigation into the man who did it."

Ten minutes into it, I had to hit pause and stop listening. The reality of gun violence in this country is too upsetting and real. Sadly, we know how this story ends. 

Conversely, the image of Kate doesn't tell the story of those who might not return to our public places and our favorite spaces after a cancer diagnosis. What that we could not give them, their family members and caregivers a standing ovation as well. 

The adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" remains true—but that's not where the story ends. Let us give voice to what we see. Explain how an image makes you feel and discuss why that feeling is important. Was do you want to remember? What might be hard to forget? Is it spiritual? Why or why not?

Photo Credits
DJT
KM