Fact Check: Did Trump use AI to remove Melania and leave Natalie Harp in photo with Xi Jinping?

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has a history of sharing AI-generated visuals tied to current events. Recently, a picture of him alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping caused a stir across the internet. Observers were quick to point out that First Lady Melania Trump appeared to be absent from the frame, though another woman was clearly visible.

Online commentators immediately began tossing around theories, with some asserting that the mystery woman was actually Trump’s longtime aide, Natalie Harp. Let’s take a closer look at the facts behind this viral claim.

Claim: Trump used AI to remove Melania Trump in his Xi Jinping photo

In September, Trump uploaded an image to Truth Social capturing him saluting next to Chinese President Xi Jinping shortly after Xi’s aircraft touched down at Joint Base Andrews, with a military jet soaring in the background.

The snapshot caught attention because both leaders appeared to be standing by themselves, noticeably missing the two first ladies. Because a female figure was still present in the shot, internet sleuths went to work trying to identify her.

While some users pinned her identity on Monica Crowley, the US chief of protocol—who subsequently posted her own collection of photos from the gathering—others doubled down on the belief that it was Natalie Harp, a familiar face frequently seen by Trump’s side at public functions.

This ambiguity fueled further conspiracy theories suggesting the photo had undergone digital manipulation. The narrative suggested that Melania Trump had been intentionally edited out using AI, leaving Harp standing next to the president. One user posted, “Lol, Natalie Harp, who manages Trump’s Truth Social account, used AI to remove Melania and insert herself into the picture 🤣”

Ultimately, these conflicting theories placed the digital integrity of the photo and the identity of the mysterious woman at the center of a widespread rumor.

Fact Check: The image is altered

The accusation lacks foundation. A corresponding X Community Note clarified, “The woman is U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley, not Natalie Harp. Crowley posted from the event. Melania Trump attended but isn’t in this photo frame. The Truth Social version differs from the originals (e.g., missing glove, shoe style).”

The wave of speculation kicked off because the version of the photo shared by Trump bore noticeable inconsistencies when compared against actual video and photographic coverage of Xi Jinping’s September 23 arrival at Joint Base Andrews.

Official broadcast footage clearly documents Trump and Xi accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan during the welcoming ceremony.

These discrepancies naturally invited questions about whether the image had undergone unauthorized editing to isolate the two leaders while omitting the first ladies. Further adding to the mystery, video footage reveals Trump visibly reacting to the roaring noise of a passing B-1 bomber, whereas the shared photo depicts him with a static, composed expression. Observers also pointed out subtle wardrobe changes, such as differences in the gloves he donned for the actual ceremony.

Consequently, the photo leaves open questions regarding what specific edits were made prior to its publication and whether individuals present in the live footage were deliberately scrubbed from the picture.