The human printer

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, a few minutes from Washington D. C. Donald Trump and his assistant, Natalie Harp, step off Marine One, the helicopter of the President of the United States, to board Air Force Onebound for Houston. The photograph shows a scene very typical of presidential routines. These are iconic moments of power representation: the epic of the leader preparing to act, to demonstrate his strength. The photograph does not seem to have any particularity. However, the political context makes the image not innocent. Trump walks in the foreground, moving across the tarmac with his heavy gait. But Reuters photographer Kylie Cooper makes him appear blurred. Instead, she focuses on the secondary character: Natalie Harp. A former television presenter turned advisor and personal secretary. Her silhouette is perfectly defined, her confident smile is visible and the vivid green of the dress catches the observer's eye. She walks gracefully and with a firm step, in the background. On the day of the photo, August 27th, it had been only two weeks since the Washington Post had revealed that Trump, on his trip to Turkey, secretly abandoned the official plane at Ankara airport by hiding in a catering truck. He flew secretly in another aircraft while Air Force One, with journalists and part of the cabinet on board, served as a decoy in the face of a supposed dangerous situation due to threats from Iran. The press, which believed that Trump was traveling on the same aircraft, received the order to lower the blinds to prevent the light from inside from making the plane more visible during the flight.The Washington Post revealed that Natalie Harp was one of the few people chosen to accompany the president on the secret flight. Faced with a great threat, Trump prioritized his assistant over higher-ranking politicians. The opposition has taken advantage of this proximity of Harp to the president to make sexist insinuations about a possible sexual affair. On social media, images have circulated accusing her of being the trigger for an argument between Trump and Melania.Power, information and influence

The photographer has captured the moment when Natalie Harp walks under the large 'United States' sign, personifying that idea of dominance it represents. The secretary witnesses confidential conversations and meetings of the president. For some time, the press has dubbed her "the human printer" because she is the one who selects and provides Trump with emails, messages, news, and documents, always in paper format. In the image, Harp is the only one carrying a black bag that seems very full: the zipper does not quite close. She holds it tightly by the handle. The symbolic weight of the information she manages.This photograph hints at an influence that has nothing to do with official hierarchies. Despite her angelic pose and advertising-style beauty, the photographer points out the woman who holds great sway over Trump. Or perhaps a new weak point of the President of the United States.