In a photo released last week of the 91 interns posing with US President Donald Trump, social media users were quick to highlight that the overwhelming majority of the "future leaders" were white.
This was despite a nearly 40 per cent of the US population being 'non-white', according to the United States Census Bureau.
"The White House intern photo is like a Where’s Waldo for a non-white person—in a country that is about 40% non-white," Washington Post columnist Brian Klaas wrote on Twitter.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
US media claimed Mr Trump's lowest approval ratings came from people of colour, and suggested that the lack of diversity in the image could be pinned down to minimal interest.
Data from the Roper Center from Cornell University found only 8 per cent of black Americans who took part in the 2016 presidential election voted for Mr Trump.
Other social media users compared former President Barack Obama's White House intern staff in 2014 to the current class under Mr Trump.
The hands-on program is designed to give a unique opportunity for the interns to "strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office, and prepare them for future public service opportunities," according to the White House.
