White House Aide Natalie Harp Received $45,000 Holiday Cash Gift From Trump, Disclosure Shows

Federal workers are typically prohibited from earning additional pay beyond their official salaries.

By Reuters and The Associated Press

Published On 10 Sep 202610 Sep 2026

Last year, President Donald Trump distributed tens of thousands of dollars in cash to four White House aides, prompting concerns about possible violations of federal ethics rules that limit extra compensation for government employees.

Financial disclosures released last week show that executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin and deputy Oval Office operations director Chamberlain Harris each received a $45,000 holiday cash gift.

Meanwhile, Oval Office operations director Walt Nauta was given $20,000, which was labeled as a “Cash Gift for Holidays.”

Because federal employees are generally barred from receiving pay beyond their government salaries, the payments have raised questions about their propriety. The White House maintains that the gifts comply with ethics regulations.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle said, “The gifts in question are unrelated to any official duties of these individuals and therefore are fully permissible under applicable legal and ethical standards.”

Ingle noted that Trump has a longstanding habit of giving Christmas presents to people in his “orbit,” both during his time in government and in the private sector.

The $45,000 amounts represent about one‑third of the yearly salaries earned by Harp, Martin and Harris, who each make $150,000 annually. Nauta’s annual salary is $175,000.

Harp and Nauta rank among Trump’s most trusted aides, enjoying almost constant access to him at the White House and while traveling.

For example, Harp manages Trump’s Truth Social account and drafts his social‑media statements, according to someone familiar with her work.

She is also known for carrying a portable printer that delivers news coverage to the president, a habit that earned her the nickname “human printer.”

Her close ties to the president have drawn public scrutiny in recent months. At a midterm rally, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff questioned Trump’s dedication to public service, citing his frequent trips with Harp.

Ossoff remarked, “He doesn’t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie.”

Trump has built a similarly close relationship with Nauta. After losing the 2020 election, the former White House valet continued to work for Trump, taking positions at Mar‑a‑Lago and within the president’s political action committee.

Nauta has since returned to the White House as part of Trump’s second administration.

During the interval between Trump’s two terms, Nauta was a co‑defendant alongside Trump in a federal indictment alleging that the former president unlawfully retained classified documents after leaving office.

He was charged with conspiring to conceal the documents and obstruct the investigation; he pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed after Trump returned to office.

Harp and Nauta were among a small group of aides who joined Trump in a catering truck when he covertly changed aircraft in Turkey in July, amid reports of threats to his safety.

Reporters, staff members and officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio remained on the aircraft Trump was originally scheduled to board, which critics have described as a “decoy flight” intended to thwart a possible attack.

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