Renowned Photographer Platon Shares Disturbing Experience with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
Mikhail Klimentyev | TASS | Getty Images
Over the weekend, Platon, a renowned British photographer known for his portraits of prominent global leaders including Vladimir Putin and American presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, shared unsettling details from an encounter with Trump.
The photographer’s revelations were made during an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, providing a rare glimpse into his experiences with these powerful figures. Platon’s discussion first touched upon his intimidating photography session with Vladimir Putin, which began with an unexpected and alarming start.
“We’ve all followed your career, no one can doubt it’s an extraordinary career path you’ve had,” Platon said he told Trump. “But there’s always something about you, there’s always an air of tension and controversy about things you say and do in public, and I’m sure it’s intentional on your part. But it feels to me as if you’re in the middle of an emotional storm. I can’t live with that anxiety all the time. As a fellow human being, I’d like to know how you weather the storm.”
It was at that point that Trump looked at Platon and said, “I am the storm.” “I had those words ringing out in my brain,” Platon told Amanpour. “Through the election campaign, through his presidency, through his post-presidency, and now we’re in another cycle again. I keep thinking to myself, ‘There’s only one person who can navigate perfectly through the storm,’ and that’s the creator of the storm.”
He recounted how he was led to believe the session would take place in the stately halls of the Kremlin. Instead, Platon found himself escorted at gunpoint by a former KGB operative to a remote forest outside Moscow. This led him to Putin’s dacha, a location he described as the “most scary building” he had ever seen, surrounded by snipers and permeated by a palpable sense of intimidation, reported Raw Story.
Amidst his career’s many challenging and nerve-wracking moments, Platon emphasized that it was his interaction with Donald Trump that stood out the most. During a portrait session with Trump before his presidency, Platon attempted to break the ice in an unusual way. “I remember saying to him, ‘Donny, let’s just be human,'” Platon recalled. This comment underscored the photographer’s effort to cut through the persona often associated with Trump and to connect on a more personal and human level.
The conversation with Amanpour provided Platon an opportunity to reflect on the varied nature of his interactions with world leaders, highlighting the contrast between the orchestrated, tension-filled session with Putin and his more candid, humanizing attempt with Trump. Platon’s experiences shed light on the complexities and pressures that come with photographing some of the most guarded and influential people in the world.
His recounting not only captures the logistical and emotional challenges he faced during these high-profile assignments but also illustrates the stark differences in how these leaders present themselves behind closed doors. Platon’s insights contribute to a broader understanding of the personal dynamics at play in the realms of global power, revealing how even a seasoned photographer can find himself navigating moments of vulnerability and surprise.
