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See the full story · 4 sourcesThe images have emerged as Harp has drawn scrutiny over her apparent fervent devotion to Trump and her influence within his orbit
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Newly surfaced photographs appear to show Donald Trump aide Natalie Harp chasing after the president’s golf cart on a course in Scotland, according to a new report.
The images have emerged as Harp — the president’s 35-year-old executive assistant — has drawn heightened scrutiny over her apparent fervent devotion to Trump and her influence within his orbit . The White House has defended Harp, who has described herself as a bone cancer survivor, as a loyal and trustworthy staffer.
The images show a procession of golf carts, led by Trump, speeding uphill near the course’s “Halfway House,” according to the outlet. In one photograph, Harp, dressed in athletic attire, appears to be sprinting uphill to catch up with Trump.
Another image from that day seems to show her standing beside Trump and his son Eric Trump on a green overlooking the ocean.
A letter Harp penned to Trump in 2023, apparently about the Turnberry trip, was published in full by The Daily Beast on Thursday night, seeming to shed further light on the photographs.
“I also am sorry if I was an embarrassment walking the course in Scotland,” she wrote, according to the outlet. “The first day I was told there were no carts, and people walked, which is why I walked.”
“If there is anything else I have done to cause you trouble, please forgive me,” Harp, then 31, wrote. “I want things to always be right between us…You are all that matters to me. I don’t want to ever let you down. Thank you for being my Guardian and Protector in this Life…”
She concluded the letter by writing: “With all my heart, Natalie.”
A former television presenter, Harp is reportedly a near-constant presence at the side of the 80-year-old president. Her duties reportedly include managing his Truth Social account and supplying him with positive news stories, while she is also said to serve as a conduit for information that falls outside official channels. She has apparently been dubbed the “human printer.”
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman — who recently co-authored a scoop-heavy book about Trump’s return to power — has described the aide as the president’s “binkie” and “ comfort blanket .” Harp’s estranged brother has similarly characterized her relationship with the president as “ very unhealthy .”
The White House, meanwhile, has vigorously defended Harp, who joined Trump’s team in 2022.
“No president has cultivated as much loyalty among their staffers and administration officials as President Trump; this is a testament to his commitment to our country and its people,” a White House spokesperson previously told The Independent . “Natalie Harp is a beloved White House Official, and the Fake News Media will never understand what it’s like to be as trusted and admired as her.”
Coverage of Harp intensified after it was reported that she was among a select group of staffers who accompanied the president aboard a military plane departing Turkey last month , after he abandoned Air Force One amid a potential threat from Iran.
Senator Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, appeared to allude to the report during a rally on Sunday, saying Trump “doesn’t want to do the job; he wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie…”
The remark drew fierce backlash from conservative commentators.
“Donald Trump has done more to elevate women in politics than any other President. Jon Ossoff is a despicable coward who thinks he can get ahead by smearing a cancer survivor and loyal public servant, Natalie Harp,” CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings wrote on X on Tuesday.
This week, MS NOW also reported that Harp repeatedly declined to seek security clearance for more than a year while working in the White House. The required paperwork was ultimately submitted only after Trump personally intervened.
“Natalie Harp has a security clearance like everyone else, and she is a loyal and hardworking member of President Trump’s team,” outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement provided to The Independent .
On Wednesday, right-wing commentator Laura Loomer offered her own explanation for the intense media scrutiny that has dogged Harp in recent weeks.
“Make no mistake, the nasty stories you’re seeing about Natalie Harp that are being posted are coming from inside the West Wing,” Loomer wrote on X. “A lot of the people who work for President Trump suffer from major professional jealousy and they are very bothered by loyalty.”
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
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