Trump posts altered photo of Xi meeting, showing edited faces and aircraft

During a Thursday reception for Xi Jinping in Washington, Donald Trump later posted a picture of the event on Truth Social that differs noticeably from the official White House video. In the original footage, Trump makes a pronounced grimace as a bomber flies overhead, and protocol chief Monica Crowley stands behind the leaders. The posted image smooths Trump's expression, removes a glove, and reshapes the bomber’s hatch from square to round, also altering Crowley's facial features.

Early reports mistakenly identified the altered face as Natalie Harp, Trump’s assistant, before correcting the error. Image analyst Hany Farid said the edits match typical cosmetic retouching practices. The White House has not responded to inquiries about the modifications.