When there's no seat, make one: Natalie Harp's ride-or-die routine with Trump

In October 2023, as Donald Trump's motorcade idled outside Trump Tower ahead of a court appearance, aides discovered there wasn't room in the vehicle for Natalie Harp.

Determined not to be left behind, Harp climbed into an SUV trunk to accompany him, an episode confirmed by two sources and a photo obtained by CNN, which first reported the incident this week.

Also read: Trump aide Natalie Harp’s brother reacts to report she climbed into SUV trunk to accompany President; recalls her letter to George Bush


The anecdote has resurfaced amid fresh scrutiny of Harp's role after Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff named her in a viral campaign speech attacking President Trump on Sunday. Ossoff said the president would rather "build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar," referencing a secret plane switch Trump and Harp made while leaving Turkey last month amid a suspected Iranian threat.

From cancer patient to campaign stage

Harp's entry into Trump's political orbit began years before she joined his staff. A California native and Liberty University MBA graduate, she has said she developed serious health complications after a medical error in 2015 and underwent two unsuccessful rounds of chemotherapy for what she described as Stage 2 bone cancer.

She has said she then pursued an experimental treatment under the Right to Try Act, legislation Trump signed in 2018 that allows certain terminally ill patients to access drugs not yet fully approved by the FDA. The Washington Post has since reported that her treatment timeline raises questions about whether the law actually enabled her access to the drug.

Harp credited Trump and the law publicly with giving her another option, appearing on Fox & Friends before Trump invited her onstage at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in June 2019. Her story became part of his political messaging, she went on to serve as a Trump campaign advisory-board member and spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

From OAN to 'human printer'

Before joining Trump's team, Harp hosted "The Real Story with Natalie Harp" on the right-leaning One America News Network. OAN announced her departure in March 2022 to work for Trump.

Her role expanded quickly from there. She reportedly carries a portable printer, paper and batteries to supply Trump with printed news reports and social media material — the origin of her "human printer" nicknameand was said to have run behind his golf cart during his time out of office to keep him briefed.

Reporting from The New York Times has described a series of personal letters Harp wrote to Trump, including one stating, "You're all that matters to me," which reportedly raised concerns among Secret Service personnel over their tone and where they were left.

Rapid rise in Trump's orbit

According to CNN's reporting, Harp, 35, joined Trump's staff in 2022 and quickly became a fixture at his side despite holding no formal campaign title. She now serves as executive and special assistant to the president, and CNN reports she has become a main conduit between Trump and the outside world, fielding messages from lawmakers, setting up meetings and drafting his Truth Social posts.

One Republican lawmaker told CNN that even when reaching out to Trump directly, they make sure Harp is aware, saying she "always responds" and often personally follows up on the president's behalf.

CNN also reported that Harp's constant presence has occasionally frustrated senior aides, some of whom have found her sitting in on meetings intended to be private, and that she has told colleagues she reports only to Trump.

The Turkey security scare

Harp's access was underscored again during Trump's July trip to Turkey for the NATO summit. According to reports, Trump and a small group of trusted aides switched aircraft after intelligence indicated a possible threat, with Harp among those who travelled on the alternate flight while senior Cabinet officials and journalists remained on the other plane.

Asked about Harp's role, White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended her to CNN as "one of the most loyal and hardest working aides on President Trump's team." The White House also pushed back forcefully on Ossoff, branding him a "lightweight loser" over the remarks.

The row escalated further on August 17 when CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes asked Trump directly about Ossoff's comments and Harp. Trump dismissed Ossoff as a "Pee-wee Herman lookalike" and repeatedly told Holmes to be quiet, calling her "fake news" and "disrespectful." The White House's Rapid Response 47 account then took aim at Holmes personally, saying her children would one day be "sickened" by her question, a claim CNN rejected, saying Holmes was simply doing her job.

Separately, former deputy White House press secretary Abigail Jackson defended Harp on X, arguing that senior female staffers naturally spend considerable time with their bosses because "that is the job."