Watch Donald Trump almost get attacked by Uncle Sam the eagle

U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump faced an unexpected source of difficulty during a photo shoot over the summer: a bald eagle named Uncle Sam.

The photos featureTrump with thetame, 27-year-old bird anidea from award-winning photographer MartinSchoeller,whose portraits frequent the pages of Time and, while the finished productlooks slick, getting itwas anything but a smooth process.

When Uncle Sam attacks

A behind-the-scenes video from the shootreleased by Time magazine onWednesday shows the controversial candidate dodging a territorial peckby theornery eagle. It has been picked apart and turned into widely-shared GIFs and videoslike these:

Tump on Time cover: 'Deal with it'

The shoot took place on Aug.18. The photo Time ultimately chose for thecover carried the phrase "Deal with it" typed across his forehead. Uncle Sam didn't make the cut.At the time, Trump was still a contender for the magazine's "Person of the Year" designation,which ultimatelywent to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.

Trump knew the risks

"I'm doing this for the cover of Time magazine. I love Time magazine. What you will do for a cover this bird is seriously dangerous, but beautiful," Trump can be heard saying during the one-minute clip.

Trump faces fallout from Muslim ban comments

Trump, who leads opinion polls in the U.S. Republican presidential primary race, has provoked an international uproar by calling for all Muslimsto be blocked from entering the United States after last week's deadly shootings in California by two Muslims who authorities said wereradicalized.

In Canada, city councillors and plannersin VancouverandTorontoare pushing to change the names of their respective Trump Tower hotel-condominums.