Donald Trump's 'Only Trump' image with Chinese President Xi Jinping has sparked a viral debate on X after social-media users, without evidence, linked the apparently altered picture to White House aide Natalie Harp.

The photo, posted to Trump's Truth Social account during Xi's arrival in Washington, shows Trump saluting beside the Chinese leader at Joint Base Andrews. First lady Melania Trump and Xi's wife, Peng Liyuan, attended the 23 September welcome ceremony but do not appear in Trump's published version.

A blonde woman is visible behind Trump and Xi in the post. Social-media users initially identified the woman as Harp and circulated claims that she had removed Melania Trump from the image and inserted herself.

The posts offer no verifiable evidence that Harp created, edited, commissioned or approved the image. They also do not establish what method, if any, was used to change it.

The woman in the frame was identified by the Independent as Monica Crowley, the White House chief of protocol, after an earlier version of its report incorrectly identified her as Harp. The New Republic also identified the woman as Crowley while noting widespread online speculation that she was Harp.

Crowley was present at Xi's arrival and appears in photographs and video from the ceremony. White House video shows Trump and Melania welcoming Xi and Peng, while Crowley can be seen among the officials involved in the event.

The Truth Social image appears different from other visual coverage of the arrival. X users pointed to the absence of the first ladies, variations in the appearance of the woman behind Trump and Xi, and differences involving Trump's gloves and the military display.

Those observations explain why the image became widely shared. They do not, on their own, identify who made any alterations or establish how the image was produced.

Harp became the focus of the viral posts after users associated the unusual image with her reported role assisting Trump's Truth Social activity. That reported role does not establish that she created, edited, commissioned or approved this specific image.

One X post alleged that Harp used AI to remove Melania Trump and add herself to the image. It did not include image metadata, technical analysis, a first-hand account or other material connecting Harp to the image's creation, editing or publication.

Although some coverage and social-media users have described the image as apparently AI-generated or heavily edited, the available material does not establish who made any alterations, what tools were used or whether Harp had any involvement.

The New Republic's assessment of apparent AI generation was based on visual differences from the ceremony footage, not a public forensic finding identifying an editor.

The identity issue is central because social-media users initially identified the woman as Harp, while subsequent coverage identified her as Crowley. The woman in Trump's post should therefore not be described as Harp.

Trump posted the 'Only Trump' image during Xi's arrival, and official footage shows Melania Trump and Peng at the underlying ceremony. The woman in the frame was subsequently identified in published coverage as Crowley.

The post appears different from other photographs and video of the event, which led to online speculation about AI and editing. But the available evidence does not establish that Harp created, edited, commissioned or otherwise participated in producing the image.

The viral allegations explain the story's spread on X, but they are not evidence of Harp's involvement. Until verifiable evidence emerges, the claim that she removed Melania Trump or inserted herself into the picture should remain clearly identified as unsubstantiated social-media speculation.