Dolly Parton’s death on Aug. 25 sent millions of fans around the world into mourning, with tributes honoring not only the unmistakable voice behind hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” but also a woman whose generosity and humanitarian efforts reached far beyond country music.
The 80-year-old singer died following a brief battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy that she carefully built over more than six decades. Throughout her career, Parton avoided becoming a symbol for either side of America’s political divide.
Donald Trump, however, soon found a way to insert himself into the conversation.
During an appearance on The Glenn Beck Program following Parton’s death, the president spoke about her passing, saying, “she was a great person, a nice person; I liked her a lot.”
“She was unique, I mean, she was amazing. To lose her is like you lose a member of the family,” Trump said, according to The Daily Beast.
“We all knew her so well. I knew her a little bit. She wasn’t a very political person…she really liked me, I will tell you!”
Dolly Stayed Out of Politics
Trump was right about one thing: Parton made a conscious effort to stay away from partisan politics.
That included turning down the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice from Trump during his first administration and once from Joe Biden. She previously explained to Today that accepting the honor from the 46th president after declining Trump’s offer could make it look as though she was “doing politics.”
It was a careful balance Parton had discussed years earlier.
“I don’t like to get involved in politics, because first of all, I have as many Republican fans as I do Democrats,” Parton said during a 2020 interview with USA Today.
“I don’t want to offend anybody; I have a right to myself. Like God gave us free will, America gave us free speech, but you’ve got to be responsible for anything you say and do,” she told the outlet.
While Dolly largely kept her personal political views separate from her public image, her younger sister Stella Parton was far more outspoken.
‘Illegitimate President’
Just days before Dolly’s death, 77-year-old Stella reportedly criticized Trump in a social media post that has since been deleted.
“As a natural born citizen of the United States of America, I do not support nor do I agree with Trump or his deranged, ugly, nasty behavior,” Stella wrote in the now-deleted post, according to Raw Story.
Then, on Aug. 20, she took her criticism even further in a post on X.
“We have a pimple in the White House and the pus in Congress do nothing beneficial for the citizens of this country!” she wrote.
“Strutting around with his female assistant carrying his diaper bag and soothing his every desire is gross and pathetic! He is an illegitimate President! The entire administration is a freak show every day!” Stella, 77, continued.
The “diaper bag” comment was a reference to Trump’s ever-present female assistant, whom one X user mocked in June 2026 for allegedly “carrying around a diaper bag full of depends” for the president.
Just days later, Dolly was gone, making Stella’s earlier remarks seem especially timely.
As fans continued to mourn Parton’s death, Trump’s Truth Social account shared an apparent AI-generated image showing the president locking arms with the late singer.
‘Human Printer’
The post quickly brought renewed attention to Natalie Harp, the fiercely loyal White House aide who has become deeply involved in Trump’s communications and social media operation and is frequently photographed alongside the president.
Harp earned the nickname “human printer” after reportedly traveling with Trump during his 2024 campaign with a portable printer, providing him with printed copies of news articles and social media posts.
Her responsibilities have since expanded. The Washington Post reported that she “routinely posts for the president” on his Truth Social account and remains a constant presence during presidential travel and other public movements.
‘Creepy’ AI Post
Harp’s involvement in Trump’s social media operation quickly became part of the backlash surrounding the post.
“Creepy, yes. Even creepier when you consider that Natalie Harp found this on the internet, printed it out, showed it to him, he approved it for posting, then she posted it. And that’s what we are paying her to do all day,” one critic wrote on X.
The post quickly attracted more reactions, with Harp becoming a target of the criticism.
“It’s AI. Of course. Natalie must have made it for him. Always fake stuff with this guy,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Trump and his psychopathic ‘assistant’ both belong in a mental hospital.”