Who is Natalie Harp who wrote 'you're all that matters to me' for Trump: US President’s ‘human printer’ at the centre of a new sexism and relationship row

Natalie Harp, the 35-year-old executive assistant who has become one of the most constant figures in President Donald Trump’s inner circle, is at the centre of a political row after Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff questioned her unusually close proximity to the president, prompting Trump allies to accuse the senator of making an attack on a female staffer.

The controversy erupted after Ossoff, campaigning for re-election in Georgia, mocked Trump at a rally on August 16, saying the president did not want to “do the job” and instead wanted to build his ballroom and “travel with Natalie” aboard a plane he described as being gifted by Qatar. The remarks triggered an aggressive response from Trump allies and renewed attention on Harp, who is frequently beside the president at official events, while travelling and even during his leisure time.

Abigail Jackson, who recently left her position as deputy to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, defended Harp on X, arguing that senior female staffers naturally spend considerable time with their bosses because “that is the JOB.” The defence came as scrutiny intensified over Harp's unusually close access to Trump.

Who is Natalie Harp?

Harp first entered Trump's political orbit through her highly publicised battle with Stage 2 bone cancer.

A California native and Liberty University MBA graduate, Harp said she became seriously ill after a medical error in 2015 and subsequently underwent two unsuccessful chemotherapy treatments. Harp then reportedly turned to experimental treatment after learning about the Right to Try Act, which allows certain terminally ill patients to seek experimental drugs that had not received full FDA approval, which Trump signed in 2018.

However, The Washington Post later reported that her treatment timeline raised questions about whether the federal law actually enabled her access to the drug.

Harp publicly credited Trump and the law with giving her another treatment option. In June 2019, after appearing on Fox & Friends, she was invited onstage by Trump at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in Washington.

Her story became part of Trump's political messaging. She later served as a Trump campaign advisory-board member and was among the speakers at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

From conservative television to Trump's inner circle

Harp subsequently became a television host for the conservative One America News Network, presenting The Real Story with Natalie Harp. In March 2022, OAN announced that she had left the network to work for Trump.

Her importance grew dramatically after she entered Trump's orbit. She became known as the “human printer” because she reportedly carries a portable printer, paper and batteries and supplies Trump with printed news reports, social-media material and other information. During Trump's time outside the White House, she reportedly became a familiar presence on his golf outings and was sometimes seen running behind his golf cart to keep him supplied with information.

The New York Times reported that Harp wrote Trump a series of highly personal letters, including one containing the line, “You’re all that matters to me.” The report said some of the letters raised eyebrows among Secret Service personnel because of their tone and where they were reportedly left.

The Turkey security scare

Harp's level of access was also highlighted during a security incident surrounding Trump's July trip to Turkey for the NATO summit.

Reporting said Trump and a small group of trusted aides switched aircraft after intelligence indicated a possible threat. Harp was among those who travelled with Trump, while senior Cabinet officials and journalists remained on the other aircraft. Her presence in such a tightly restricted group illustrated how close she had become to the president.

The controversy intensified on August 17 when CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes asked Trump about Ossoff's comments and Harp.

Trump dismissed Ossoff as a “Pee-wee Herman lookalike” and then repeatedly told Holmes to be quiet, calling her “fake news” and “disrespectful.” The White House subsequently launched an unusually personal attack on Holmes through its Rapid Response 47 account, saying her children would one day see her question and be “sickened” by it. CNN defended Holmes and said she was doing her job by asking the president a legitimate question.