Trump caught secretly slipping eye-popping cash to Natalie Harp, 35, and two other young female White House staffers
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Financial disclosures revealed that Donald Trump gave three young female White House aides – Natalie Harp, 35, Chamberlain Harris, 26, and Margo Martin, 31 – $45,000 each as a Christmas gift, with Politico also reporting that Oval Office operations director Walt Nauta received a separate $20,000 gift from the president. The White House defended the payments, with a spokesman saying they stem from Trump's "longstanding practice" of gifting people in his orbit, have "nothing to do with" the recipients' official duties, and are therefore "entirely permissible" under ethics rules, and no further developments emerged after this explanation was issued.
Each of the three women received $45,000 on top of their $150,000 taxpayer-funded salaries, equivalent to roughly 30% of their annual pay. Harp, a former One America News host and Trump's personal secretary, has drawn particular attention as the so-called "human printer" who supplies him with printed news and social media posts, and was previously named by Senator Jon Ossoff as evidence Trump prioritised "travelling with Natalie" over his duties, including staying by his side when he switched to a decoy plane in Turkey over an assassination threat while cabinet officials were left behind. Harris serves as deputy director of Oval Office operations, Martin as a communications adviser, and Nauta – a former valet – was also among the aides who accompanied Trump on the Turkey flight; the exact nature of the gifts remains unclear.
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In short
- Trump gave three female aides $45,000 each as Christmas gifts.
- Aide Walt Nauta also received a separate $20,000 gift.
- White House says gifts are a longstanding, permissible personal practice.
How this story developed
- 2 months ago New details have emerged alongside the original disclosure that Donald Trump gave three female White House aides $45,000 each as a Christmas gift, with Politico reporting that Oval Office operations director Walt Nauta also received a $20,000 gift from the president.
- 2 months ago Newly released White House financial disclosures show Donald Trump gave three young female aides – Natalie Harp, 35, Chamberlain Harris, 26, and Margo Martin, 31 – $45,000 each as a holiday gift, on top of their $150,000 government salaries.
- 2 months ago Financial disclosures revealed that Donald Trump gave three young female White House aides – Natalie Harp, 35, Chamberlain Harris, 26, and Margo Martin, 31 – $45,000 each as a Christmas gift, with Politico also reporting that Oval Office operations director Walt Nauta received a separate $20,000 gift from the president.
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The case for
Those defending the gifts would argue that Trump is using his own personal funds to reward long-serving aides he trusts, a practice he has followed for years with staff across his businesses and administrations, and that a wealthy employer choosing to be generous towards loyal employees is not inherently improper. They would note the White House's position that the payments are unconnected to official duties and fall within permitted ethics exemptions for personal gifts, and would caution against treating an ordinary act of gratitude as sinister simply because the recipients are young, female or visibly devoted to the president.
The case against
Critics would argue that gifts of this size, amounting to roughly a third of a staffer's salary, handed quietly to a small, favoured circle by the most powerful official in government inevitably raise questions about undue influence, unequal treatment and the blurring of personal and professional loyalty, regardless of the funding source. They would contend that when recipients are already noted for extraordinary personal devotion to the president, such payments deserve public scrutiny and full transparency rather than a simple assurance that they are unconnected to official duties, since the appearance of favouritism in a taxpayer-funded workplace matters even where no rule is technically broken.
Explained simply
The gifts came to light through routine White House financial disclosure filings, which require officials to report income, including gifts above a certain value, for transparency purposes. Natalie Harp, Chamberlain Harris and Margo Martin are all junior aides who work closely with President Trump day to day, handling tasks such as media, communications and personal support in the Oval Office.
Natalie Harp has drawn particular attention because of how visibly close she is to the president; she previously worked as a television host before joining his staff, and has been present during sensitive moments, including a security scare involving his travel. Her prominence has reportedly unsettled some colleagues and security personnel, though the White House says the arrangement is unremarkable.
This story matters because it touches on questions of transparency and propriety around how a president rewards personal staff with his own money, separate from their government pay. White House officials say such gifts are a longstanding personal tradition rather than anything tied to job performance, though the disclosures have renewed scrutiny of the close-knit team surrounding Trump.
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