The photograph that sent social media into a frenzy yesterday has prompted a response from the White House, even though the image at the center of the controversy was never genuine.
The photo in question appeared to show President Donald Trump sharing an intimate kiss with his aide, Natalie Harp, on a golf course when the pair were in Ireland for Trump’s visit at the weekend.
It quickly spread across social media, with some users questioning the nature of the pair’s relationship and others using the image to fuel speculation about Trump’s marriage to First Lady Melania Trump.
As we reported yesterday, the photograph has no verified source and there is strong reason to believe it was generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence. Researchers and online users pointed to several visual irregularities, not least the fact that one of Harp’s hands had six fingers. A clearer version of the picture also appeared to reveal signs commonly associated with AI-generated content.
The White House has now dismissed the image, with a spokesperson reportedly making clear that the viral photograph should not be treated as evidence of any real-life encounter. They declined to provide real photos of Trump and Harp golfing for comparison, but the spokesperson described the viral image as “clearly a fake photo”.
The response comes amid growing attention surrounding Harp, who is one of Trump’s most visible and trusted aides and is frequently seen accompanying him, including during golf outings and overseas trips.
Harp, who has worked closely with Trump for several years, is sometimes nicknamed the “human printer” because she reportedly supplies him with printed articles and online material.
Her proximity to the president has attracted media scrutiny before, but there is no verified evidence that she and Trump are romantically involved. The aide was with Donald and Melania Trump at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, with clips posted on the White House social media accounts seeming to cut Natalie out, raising questions about whether Melania was behind it.
A White House source told insider journalist Rob Shuter a few weeks ago that Melania is actually happy about Natalie, as she tends to Donald’s ‘attention-seeking’ needs.
“Melania hates becoming part of somebody else’s gossip, but she absolutely doesn’t want Natalie gone,” the source told Shuter. “Why would she? Natalie handles the exhausting, around-the-clock Donald duty Melania has spent years avoiding.”
“Melania isn’t jealous of Natalie — she’s grateful for her,” they claimed. “Donald demands constant attention, and Natalie genuinely seems to enjoy giving it to him. For Melania, that takes an enormous amount of pressure off.”
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