President Donald Trump's hair appeared noticeably darker during an appearance at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Sunday, 27 September.
Trump hair change quickly drew online attention after he stepped off Air Force One. He briefly spoke to reporters before travelling to the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club.
Another appearance earlier in September prompted similar questions. Trump was photographed leaving Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey on 4 September. He then travelled to his golf club in Bedminster. In those photographs, his hair also appeared darker than the light-blond shade associated with his usual public look.
The White House pool report from 4 September said Air Force One landed at Morristown at 5.57 pm. Trump left the aircraft shortly afterwards and continued to Bedminster. The later Chicago appearance renewed attention to his hair colour and style.
The Irish Star quoted one X user asking, 'Is his hair brown again?' The report also described other social media reactions, though it did not provide direct links to those posts.
Photographs alone do not establish whether dye, treatment or another deliberate change was involved. Neither Trump nor the White House has publicly explained why his hair appeared darker in the September images.
Donald Trump Hair Change Revives Earlier Colour Questions
Trump's hair has been part of his public image for decades, making visible shifts in colour or styling particularly noticeable. The latest discussion also has some historical context from Trump himself.
In the 2004 book Trump: How to Get Rich, written with Meredith McIver, Trump devoted a chapter to the subject. The chapter is titled 'The Art of the Hair.' In it, Trump wrote that his hair was his own and acknowledged colouring it because he did not like grey hair.
That admission is relevant to his long-running public comments about his appearance. It does not establish that he coloured his hair before either September 2026 appearance.
The distinction matters because online discussion has often moved beyond what photographs can show. A darker shade can be observed in an image. The reason behind it cannot be established without a statement or other direct evidence.
The 4 September Morristown photographs also prompted questions online about whether Trump had changed his hairstyle. What can be established is the appearance itself and the travel timeline. The White House pool report confirms that Trump landed at Morristown before continuing to Bedminster.
Trump's latest appearance therefore adds another example to a month in which his hair has repeatedly looked darker in photographs. It does not provide evidence of a particular treatment, product or permanent change.
Donald Trump Previously Rejected Claims That He Wears a Wig
Trump has also addressed longstanding claims that he wears a hairpiece. During a White House Rose Garden dinner on 2 September 2026, he again rejected that suggestion.
Speaking about Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, Trump recalled a windy campaign event held near Dayton International Airport in Ohio on 16 March 2024. Moreno has represented Ohio in the US Senate since January 2025.
'I don't wear a wig,' Trump told the Rose Garden audience while recalling the event. He said the wind was so strong that a wig would not have remained on someone's head for long.
Trump also said the wind affected the teleprompter equipment. Contemporary reporting from the 2024 Vandalia rally described strong winds and teleprompters visibly moving during his speech.
Donald Trump: With the exception of oil, which is lower than the Biden administration and we no longer have to worry about nuclear weapons with Iran because they're wiped out, everything is going down.
— Lucas Sanders 👊🏽🔥🇺🇸 (@LucasSa56947288) September 28, 2026
(Notice anything about his hair?) 🤣 pic.twitter.com/liLgVq06fc
His remarks were Trump's own explanation of the episode and should not be treated as independent proof about his hair. The anecdote nevertheless shows that questions about his distinctive hairstyle have followed him for years.
The Rose Garden comments came two days before the Morristown appearance that brought fresh attention to his darker hair in September.
Less than four weeks later, the Chicago arrival prompted another round of questions. No verified statement from Trump or the White House currently explains whether the latest darker appearance resulted from hair colouring, styling, or another factor.
