It’s no secret that President Donald Trump travels with a strong team of aides – and there seem to have been three key faces behind his trip to China this week.
Trump arrived in China on May 13 for a high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping, as the two leaders discussed a number of important topics between their countries: the rise of AI and China’s designs on Taiwan, amongst other things.
Notably, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was absent from this journey across the world, as she is on maternity leave after giving birth to her second baby, daughter Viviana, on May 1, while First Lady Melania Trump stayed back in Washington.
Instead, joining Trump on this trip were a few key female staffers – Anna Kelly, Margo Martin and Natalie Harp.
Kelly, 29, is the White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary, and a Special Assistant to the President.
Since Leavitt has stepped back, she has taken on a larger role, which includes making regular TV appearances and joining Trump on his trips.
During the welcome ceremony for President Trump outside the Great Hall of the People on May 14, she was pictured alongside his staff and Lara Trump.
Since taking her stand as Deputy Press Secretary, she’s already been featured on a number of different popular Trump-friendly news channels like Fox, Real America’s Voice and One America News, to share more key points of his agenda.
Donald Trump arrived in China on May 13 for a high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping, as the two leaders discussed a number of important topics between their countries: the rise of AI, China’s designs on Taiwan and the war in Iran
Joining Trump on this trip were a few of his most important aides – Anna Kelly, Margo Martin (center), and Natalie Harp (far right)
Like her boss, Leavitt, she’s hurled the ‘fake news’ invective at reporters online.
Kelly is also a former pageant queen who won the 2019 Miss State Fair of Virginia crown.
So far, she has not hosted any press conferences. Instead, one was hosted by United States Secretary Marco Rubio on May 5.
Before starting her maternity leave, Leavitt told the Washington Examiner that there will be a rotating cast of Cabinet members and advisers who will field questions from the press in her absence.
On the other hand, glamorous aide Martin, 30, who was once mistaken for Melania by Fox News in 2023, was also by Trump’s side during this trip to China.
Martin, whose official title is Special Assistant and Communications Advisor to the President, is the quiet force behind Trump’s social media presence.
She captures the behind-the-scenes footage during Trump’s appearances, adding a ‘humanizing’ element to the President, like when he worked at a McDonald’s while on the campaign trail.
She’s joined Trump on almost all of his trips this term, taking content everywhere from Mar-a-Lago to the Middle East, and now China.
Kelly, 29, is the White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary, and a Special Assistant to the President. She is seen above wearing a black dress and sunglasses in China
Kelly is also a former pageant queen who won the 2019 Miss State Fair of Virginia crown
On the other hand, glamorous aide Martin, 30, who was once mistaken for Melania by Fox News in 2023, was also by Trump’s side during this trip to China
The Oklahoma-native has been with the president dating back to his first time at the White House after joining as an advisor from Trump’s Save America PAC.
She was one of the few to remain on with his team beyond his initial tenure in office.
Martin famously was the communications aide who gave the final press lid for the Trump administration in 2021.
Finally, another key aide on his recent trip was Harp, 30.
Harp is Donald Trump’s executive assistant, who has been with him since March 2022.
‘[Trump] dictates to her, and she does his posts,’ a source familiar with the administration’s communication strategy recently told the Daily Mail. ‘He types it out, and it rips.’
Harp is reportedly one of the only staff members who has the password to the President’s iPhone.
Harp is Donald Trump’s executive assistant, who has been with him since March 2022. She’s pictured during his recent trip to China
Harp was seen near the President multiple times during his trip to China, and attended the state banquet thrown in his honor
Trump makes a toast as he attends a state banquet with China’s President at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14
It’s been said that she is the go-to for writing copy and making quick and snappy posts on Truth Social with Trump’s permission.
Harp was seen near the President multiple times during his trip to China, and attended the state banquet thrown in his honor.
Trump and his team departed China on Friday.
Before boarding Air Force One, Trump’s team dumped gifts and items collected during the trip, a standard precaution against listening devices and other intelligence threats.
Trump has faced criticism throughout the summit for showering personal praise on Xi, the authoritarian leader of America’s most formidable rival.
In his opening remarks at the Great Hall of the People, Trump called Xi a ‘great leader’ and said it was an honor to be his friend.
The President went on to predict that the US-China relationship would be ‘better than ever before.’
In a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Trump also complimented Xi’s physical appearance by calling him ‘very tall’ and claiming Hollywood couldn’t have cast a better-looking leader of China.
