Analyst: Trump's Reliance on Aide Natalie Harp Is 'Both Hilarious and Terrifying'
Key Takeaways
- •Natalie Harp previously worked on Trump’s White House staff during his first term after serving as a commentator for One America News.
- •Harp became known for following Trump with a portable printer to display favorable news coverage, giving rise to the “human printer” nickname.
- •Jonathan V. Last said Sen. Jon Ossoff’s comments were not a claim of an affair but a criticism of Trump’s dependence on Harp.
- •Last argued that the public dispute highlights concerns about an aide’s access to the president and the flow of information around him.
- •Last referenced the Twenty-fifth Amendment as a broader constitutional concern tied to the president’s reliance on Harp.
President Donald Trump's close relationship with aide Natalie Harp has sparked rumors while revealing more about the reality of that dynamic, an analyst reported on Wednesday.
Jonathan V. Last, editor of The Bulwark, described how Harp created a role for herself within Trump's administration, and argued that Sen. Jon Ossoff's (D-GA) jab at Trump's flying habits with Harp was not about an affair. Instead, Last wrote in The Bulwark, it was a pointed warning about a president who leans on an "unhinged" aide to a degree that is both darkly funny and genuinely alarming.
Harp, a former One America News commentator who served on Trump's White House staff during his first term, became widely known for following the president with a portable printer used to show him positive news coverage — the origin of the "human printer" reference at the center of the current dispute.
"She seems to spend a lot of time on X. She views Gateway Pundit as an important news source," Last wrote. "But wait. It gets weirder."
As right-wing Trump loyalists rejected Ossoff's comments, the pushback has raised further attention to the unusual visibility Harp has maintained around the president, especially because the public debate is not just about a personal connection but about how close aides can become to the flow of information around a president.
"MAGA responded by going into high dudgeon and being outraged that Ossoff would dare suggest Trump was banging his human printer," Last wrote. "But Ossoff didn't suggest that. He was pointing to the much weirder, unstable, and dangerous reality: The president of the United States has an in-house stalker, and he relies on this unhinged woman to an extent that is both hilarious and terrifying."
"Trump's defenders are eager to pretend that Ossoff was suggesting an affair between Trump and Harp because the reality of the relationship is so much worse," Last added. "It's like a flashing neon arrow pointing at the Twenty-fifth Amendment."
The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution sets out presidential succession and the procedures for transferring power when a president is unable to discharge the duties of the office.
