An almost imperceptible glitch during the US President's message from Walter Reed Medical Centre has several video editors claiming his update was altered.
On Saturday night (local time), a four-minute personal video message was shared to Donald Trump's official Twitter account, the President reassuring his loyal followers that he's feeling "much better" after being hospitalised with COVID-19 last week.
Trump, 74, and the First Lady, Melania, were diagnosed with the coronavirus on Friday after an aide also tested positive. The President was admitted to Walter Reed military hospital later that day.
The President's personal physician Dr Sean Conley has issued regular updates on Trump's condition, confirming he is being treated with Remdesivir - an experimental antibody cocktail - and is fever-free without the need for supplemental oxygen.
In his update, the President praised the Walter Reed Medical Centre workers and said he was feeling well.
"I'm doing well, I think we're going to have a very good result. Over the next few days, we're probably going to know for sure," Trump said to the camera.
However, after referencing "therapeutics" at the 1:04 mark, the President appears to convulse slightly, as if hiccuping or suppressing a cough.
The split-second spasm, although subtle enough to be overlooked by some, had a large number of Twitter users claiming the footage had been altered.
Those familiar with editing software say the stifled tic is evidence that a portion of the video was cut and reworked with Adobe Premiere's 'morph cut' feature, a tool allowing an editor to smooth out cuts in footage so the transition appears more seamless.
"Clearly a cut here. Hard to imagine any rationale other than persuading the American public that he is healthier than he actually is," prominent film critic and editor Christopher Orr tweeted.
Trump has drawn fierce backlash for his handling of America's COVID-19 epidemic, with the country recording more deaths and more infections than any other. The President has notoriously downplayed the severity of the virus, repeatedly refusing to wear a mask and offering unsolicited medical advice, such as touting the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as an effective treatment.
A number of high-profile Twitter users are now claiming the apparent editing hides a coughing fit to downplay the seriousness of Trump's condition.
Television and film editor Tom Costantino asked: "Hey editorial friends, think someone didn't click progressive source and feature match on the fluid morph or is that just a hiccup like my dad used to do?"
One commenter questioned why editors would bother to hide a cough, as it's one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19 - the exact reason the President is hospitalised.
Meanwhile, Trump's senior adviser Jason Miller praised the message as "one take, from the heart".
