Trump aide Natalie Harp's role and recent travel draw scrutiny

Natalie Harp, 35, has been a close aide to President Donald Trump since 2019, when she praised legislation that she said enabled experimental treatment for her bone cancer. She spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, worked on Trump’s 2024 campaign and was hired at the start of his second term as executive assistant to the president. Reports indicate she often reviews and helps draft the president’s social-media posts, a role that some senior staff members have described as giving her significant control over the information reaching Trump.

Harp was among a small group of aides, including Dan Scavino, Walt Nauta and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who were moved from Air Force One to a separate aircraft after the president left Turkey amid a reported security threat. The change of planes was described as a precautionary measure.

When Senator Jon Ossoff questioned Harp’s influence, Trump responded, "you mean Pee Wee Herman?". White House spokesperson Steven Cheung later wrote on X, "instead of denigrating hard working people serving their country, Jon should look deep into his soul and ask himself why he’s a miserable person who hates this country. It’s because he’s a radical, extremist Dumocrat." CNN commentator Scott Jennings added, "This is quite a message for the Democratic Party to send to young women working in politics. Party of women? Pretty ugly stuff."

The New York Times previously reported that unnamed sources expressed concern that Harp sometimes sourced information from conspiratorial outlets and provided Trump with favorable coverage of himself. In a book released in July, journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan described Harp as highly devoted to Trump, noting that she often sat beside him in Oval Office meetings with a laptop open.

The extent of Harp’s influence within the White House remains a subject of discussion among officials and observers.