A viral image that appears to show Donald Trump kissing his assistant, Natalie Harp, has sparked a fresh online storm, with people arguing over whether the strange picture is real or AI-generated.
The White House has now weighed in, calling the image fake.
But the picture has still sparked a much bigger conversation about Harp, who has become a familiar figure around Trump and has previously drawn attention for her unusually close access to the president.
Highlights
- The White House called a viral image appearing to show Donald Trump kissing Natalie Harp “clearly a fake photo.”
- The image sparked debate after users questioned whether it was AI-generated.
- Harp’s close access to Trump has previously drawn public attention.
“The fact we're even talking about it means there is some truth to this. AI or not, there is a reason why these rumors exist,” one X user argued.
The White House addressed the viral picture of Trump and Harp, calling it fake
The image began spreading on social media around September 16.
It appeared to show Trump embracing and kissing a blonde woman on a golf course, with users quickly identifying the woman as Harp, his 35-year-old executive assistant.
The White House responded briefly to the controversy, calling the image “clearly a fake photo.”
The picture circulated in two versions.
One was sharp and high-resolution, while the other was much blurrier.
The clearer version offered one major clue that it had been created with AI. The woman appeared to have six fingers on her right hand, and the image reportedly contained a watermark indicating that it had been generated or edited with OpenAI tools.
The blurry version was harder to judge because its poor quality hid those details.
Deepfake expert Hany Farid told Snopes that the high-resolution image was clearly AI-generated, while the lower-resolution version was “inconclusive.”
That did not stop the internet from arguing about it.
“This is AI-generated, unless of course, Natalie has 6 fingers on her right hand from birth,” wrote one user.
Another user suggested that the blurry version is more convincing and questioned whether people could reliably spot an AI-generated image once it had been compressed or altered.
Another issue with the viral picture was that it could not confirm if the woman were actually Harp
The woman's face in the viral image was not visible.
Only the back of her head was visible, meaning the image itself could not confirm that she was Harp.
Still, people connected her to the picture because Harp’s relationship with Trump had already drawn online attention.
Harp has worked closely with Trump for several years. She first caught his attention in 2019 after appearing on Fox News and crediting legislation signed by him with helping her recover from bone cancer.
She later spoke at the Republican National Convention and joined Trump’s campaign before becoming a White House staffer.
Politicians have also discussed her closeness to Trump. Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff also accused Trump of preferring to “travel with Natalie” rather than focus on his presidential duties.
Trump responded by mocking Ossoff’s appearance during an Oval Office meeting.
Another reason the image quickly became a talking point was a personal letter Harp reportedly wrote to Trump after a 2023 trip to Scotland
During the 2023 trip, Harp was filmed running across a golf course to keep up with Trump’s golf cart. She later apologized, writing, “I also am sorry if I was an embarrassment walking the course in Scotland.”
She also said she had been distracted and had been forgetting to eat and sleep.
The letter became even more notable because of the way Harp described her relationship with Trump.
She wrote, “I want things to always be right between us.”
She later referred to him as her “Guardian and Protector” and said, “You are all that matters to me. I don’t want to ever let you down.”
Social media users have used those words to fuel speculation about the pair. However, the letters do not establish a romantic relationship.
Harp has also accompanied Trump on trips and has been seen around him at his properties and during international travel.
The attention around Harp is not limited to her personal relationship with Trump
Harp’s role inside the White House also came under scrutiny this year after reports that she had delayed completing the security-clearance process.
According to reports, Harp received multiple extensions to complete the SF-86 form, which collects extensive background information before a federal background investigation.
Sources said the delay was concerning because Harp frequently worked close to Trump and could be within earshot of sensitive conversations. Reports also said senior staff had tried to limit her presence around him, although those efforts were unsuccessful.
She eventually completed the paperwork after hearing directly from Trump.
Her job has also earned her the nickname “Human Printer.”
Reports alleged she became known for following Trump around and handling various requests, including printing articles and polling, searching for information, and suggesting possible Truth Social posts.
"Inbox this to Melania now", one comment reads
