Natalie Harp is not a top government official. Nor is she a senior White House advisor. Despite serving as an executive assistant to Donald Trump, Harp has become one of the most talked-about figures in his inner circle. Her extraordinary access to him and her dramatic transformation have gotten her a lot of attention. Additionally, a late-night encounter with Melania Trump has put her in the public spotlight.
According to Axios reporter Alex Isenstadt, in his book, Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power, Melania Trump once walked in on Harp late at night in Trump’s private quarters at Mar-a-Lago. It is a space normally off-limits to anyone outside the Trump family. Harp said she was there to deliver documents to the president. She did not reportedly want to wait until morning. Isenstadt wrote that “Harp didn’t do well with boundaries.”
The moment is just one of several incidents that have kept people talking about Harp’s relationship with Trump. According to The List, in her day-to-day role, she carries a portable printer with spare batteries. Harp reportedly prints out flattering news stories about the president. She personally hands them to him. She also types his social media posts as he dictates them to her.
According to The New York Times, Trump reportedly calls Harp “sweetie.” In letters to Trump, Harp reportedly described him as her “protector in this life.” She also wrote in these letters, “You are all that matters to me” and “I don’t ever want to let you down.”
Harp’s intense loyalty to Trump goes back to when she credited him with saving her life. She was previously diagnosed with stage 2 bone cancer. After standard treatments failed, she said she accessed an experimental therapy through a law Trump signed. The Act, called the Right to Try Act, allows extremely ill patients to try treatments that are not yet widely available. She has stayed firmly by his side ever since.
Her closeness to Donald Trump, however, has made those around him uncomfortable. In his book All or Nothing, writer Michael Wolff wrote that the “aggressiveness of her attention” to Trump prompted a strong conversation among those responsible for his care.
The Secret Service reportedly had letters she sent in their possession and noted that her behavior seemed unreal. The Secret Service described Harp as “a potential danger to herself as well as to the president.” When Donald Trump’s campaign set up at his Bedminster golf course, staffers reportedly left Harp without a place to stay on purpose. She initially moved into a housekeeper’s room. She later relocated to the ladies’ locker room, where she reportedly stayed the whole summer. Harp adjusted accordingly, remaining as close to Trump as possible.
Most recently, when Trump flew to China for a state visit, Harp was spotted boarding Marine One alongside senior officials and Trump family members. Melania, on the other hand, stayed behind. Her continued presence at the president’s side shows she is one of the most trusted people in his circle. There is no evidence of a romantic relationship between Trump and Harp at this time. Insiders who spoke to Wolff said they did not believe Trump was pursuing any affairs. The combination of her intense devotion, her access to restricted spaces, and her unwavering proximity to Trump keeps public attention on Harp.