'Practically Untouchable': Trump Aide Natalie Harp Draws White House Frustration by Bypassing Inner Circle
Key Takeaways
- •Natalie Harp reportedly works more closely with President Trump than any other aide and keeps a desk outside the Oval Office.
- •She has direct access to Trump’s Truth Social account and helps prepare and publish his social media posts.
- •White House staff have complained that she follows Trump’s instructions without first checking with senior offices such as the chief of staff, communications, or national security staff.
- •Some officials have also criticized Harp for showing Trump material from far-right groups that they say contains false or misleading information.
- •The White House later deleted posts linked to Harp that included a racist video and an AI-generated image of Trump after they drew criticism from both parties.

President Donald Trump's White House is confronting an internal dilemma as aide Natalie Harp infuriates colleagues by carrying out the president's requests without first clearing them with his inner circle, according to a new report.
The fierce defense of Harp, who has become a central figure in the day-to-day workings of the Trump administration, demonstrates that she is "practically untouchable" — a status that has people worried, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Harp spends more time with Trump than any other aide, according to the Journal. She keeps a desk immediately outside the Oval Office and frequently sits beside the president during meetings, "equipped with a laptop and phones to quickly retrieve any information he requires."
As one of a small number of aides with direct access to Trump's Truth Social account, Harp brings the president stacks of printed draft social media posts for approval. Trump sometimes dictates posts to her, which she then publishes from her iPhone, "mimicking his distinctive cadence and punctuation style."
Her role, however, has grated on some White House staff members.
"Harp serves as both a buffer and sounding board for the president, a role that has at times frustrated some White House staff, according to people familiar with the matter," the report states. "Some administration officials have privately complained that Harp has shown the president material from far-right groups that is riddled with false or misleading information."
White House officials say Harp has not taken a single vacation day since joining the administration and remains in constant contact with the president, attending meetings in the Situation Room, the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One.
Unlike other executive staff, Harp reports exclusively to Trump and to no one else. That unusual line of authority helps explain why colleagues say she can move quickly on the president's instructions, but it also leaves her outside the normal chain of review used by the chief of staff, communications office and national-security team.
"She has at times ruffled feathers among White House aides by immediately following through on Trump's directives without first checking in with the chief of staff, the communications office or the national-security team," the Post reported.
The Journal previously reported that Harp was the aide who posted the racist video "depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, and an AI-generated image of Trump as a Christ-like figure."
The White House deleted both posts after Trump was deluged with criticism from both sides of the aisle.