A photo posted to Truth Social showing President Trump saluting alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping sparked a firestorm this week after users noticed something was off. At first glance, the image looked like a standard diplomatic moment, but zooming in revealed a single glove on Trump’s hand, a noticeably slimmer appearance, and a woman in the background who many assumed was Trump’s executive assistant, Natalie Harp. The internet, as always, did not let it slide.
It turns out the original photo actually featured Monica Crowley, the State Department’s chief of protocol. Someone had edited the image to replace Crowley’s face with Harp’s, even removing her facial hair in the process. Commentator Aaron Rupar shared the image before discovering the unedited version, later posting that the story was“WAY wilder”than he initially thought. The bizarre edit also fueled speculation about reported tensions between Melania Trump and Harp, adding another layer to an already strange situation.
Beyond the drama, the incident raises bigger questions about AI-edited images and how quickly they can spread before anyone catches on. With public figures sharing altered photos and misinformation moving faster than fact-checks, it’s getting harder to know what’s real. So here’s the question: if you saw this photo without context, would you have noticed the edits?
About the Author
Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.