Photos of Donald Trump aboard Marine One with his “Stepford aides” have sparked a frenzy online, with users calling the scene “sinister” and questioning another mysterious detail in the images.
A photograph from Donald Trump’s Oct. 13 trip to Alaska has attracted attention after the 80-year-old president was pictured aboard Marine One with a matching pair of White House aides, sending social media into a frenzy.
The image, shared on X by New York Times’ photographer Doug Mills, shows Trump seated near longtime aide Natalie Harp and newly appointed White House press secretary Katie Zacharia as he traveled to Wasilla for a campaign rally ahead of November’s midterms.
With the door open and uniformed Marines standing on either side, the two women can be seen gazing at their boss with an almost worshipful admiration.
While the image captured an ordinary moment of presidential travel, the seating arrangement and expressions quickly became the subject of online commentary, drawing attention to the women accompanying Trump.
Trump’s ‘Stepford aides’
Harp, 35, has worked closely with the president for years, serving as his special and executive assistant in a role that reportedly includes printing articles, conducting online searches and helping him manage content for Truth Social – a role that earns her an annual taxpayer-funded salary of $150,000.
Her constant proximity to Trump and her ability to produce documents at a moment’s notice have earned her the nickname “human printer” among members of his inner circle.
Seated alongside Harp was Zacharia, 41, who was unknown to the public until Trump named her his new White House press secretary on Oct. 9, filling the position left vacant by Karoline Leavitt.
The former conservative commentator, who has appeared on Newsmax, had delivered her first White House press briefing right before the trip to Alaska, telling reporters that she had “wanted to work for [Trump] for a very long time.”
While Zacharia was settling into her new role, the photograph of her and Harp alongside Trump was attracting attention for an entirely different reason, as social media users weighed in on the scene inside Marine One.
‘Trump in his enormous baby seat’
As the photograph circulated on X, users wasted little time sharing their opinions about Trump “in his enormous baby seat,” and the two women sitting next him.
One commenter described the pair as “Stepford aides,” and another wrote, “They look like they are in a trance. Resting cult face?”
A third commenter said, “there’s something very sinister about this and I just don’t know what it is,” while another added, “The guy is a creep.”
The conversation also turned to Trump’s wife, Melania, who was not pictured aboard the helicopter.
“Where’s our beautiful First Lady though? I haven’t seen her in ages. Could she not be happy about all these younger women around the President?” one user questioned.
But amid the criticism and speculation, some viewers noticed something else in the photograph that had little to do with the two women smiling at Trump.
‘Third lady’ spotted in image
Looking more closely at the image, viewers spotted another person sitting opposite the president, although only a pair of red-clad legs could be seen.
With the woman’s face hidden from view, the unexpected detail prompted questions about who else was traveling with Trump.
“Any idea who the third woman is on the right? We can see her hand in her purse?” one person asked, while another questioned, “Who is the third lady?”
The mystery, however, had a straightforward explanation.
The woman was Susie Wiles, 69, Trump’s White House chief of staff, who has served in the role since January 2025 and regularly accompanies the president on official trips.
Although her face wasn’t visible in the photograph attracting attention, other images from the same occasion showed Wiles traveling with the presidential party.
What do you think of Trump’s choices for his public-facing White House aides? Please let us know your thoughts and then pass this story along so we can get the conversation going!
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