The Daily Beast has published two intimate letters that Natalie Harp, President Trump’s 35-year-old executive assistant, wrote to Trump in 2023, revealing deeply personal devotion that alarmed members of his campaign staff and the Secret Service. In one letter, Harp wrote, “You are all that matters to me,” while in another she referred to Trump as her “Guardian and Protector in this life.”
The letters were written during or after Trump’s May 2023 golfing trip to his courses in Scotland and Ireland, when Harp was 31 and Trump was 76. Trump’s biographer Michael Wolff, who was writing his book “All or Nothing” about Trump’s 2024 campaign, obtained the letters from sources within the Trump campaign who were concerned about Harp’s growing closeness to the president. Wolff explained on the Daily Beast podcast that he received the letters from “an extremely reliable source” and that “there was a revolt” among staff members over her influence.
In one letter, Harp apologized for a misunderstanding during the Scotland and Ireland trip, writing, “I’m sorry. I thought I was the only one left behind last night.” She expressed anxiety about disappointing Trump, stating, “I see myself being lowered in your eyes and good opinion. That is the fear you see, because I never want to bring you anything but joy.” She also thanked Trump for forcing her to “unplug” from her relentless work schedule.
The second letter reveals Harp’s yearning for a closer, less formal relationship with Trump. She wrote about envying women “whose only job seems to be to talk with you and look pretty,” adding, “I want that job!!” She referenced the nickname Trump’s staff gave her—”Human Printer”—because she printed out positive news stories and reports for the president. Harp also noted that she had been so focused on her work that she had “forgotten to eat and sleep” and was “approaching burnout.”
Wolff said the letters were discovered by campaign staff members who found them among the piles of printouts Harp regularly delivered to Trump. The staff photographed the letters, and images circulated within the campaign. “The aides around Donald Trump knew that he was spending too much time with Natalie Harp, that her influence was growing and it was influence based on nothing at all. She had no experience,” Wolff stated on the podcast.
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman confirmed that the letters “alarmed the Secret Service at the time,” according to reporting in her book with Jonathan Swan. Haberman described Harp as “something like a human binky” for Trump, referencing her constant presence and role in soothing the president. The Secret Service raised multiple security concerns about Harp, who sits outside the Oval Office as Trump’s primary gatekeeper and is known to have access to his Truth Social account.
Harp’s role has become increasingly prominent and controversial. She earns $150,000 annually as special assistant and executive assistant to the president. It emerged in recent weeks that she declined to undertake a background check for over a year, and she has become a conduit for foreign leaders seeking to reach Trump during wartime. David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama, described the situation as “a deadly serious issue” on Thursday.
When asked for comment, White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended Harp, calling her “one of the most loyal and hardest-working aides on President Trump’s team” and attacking media coverage as “Trump-Deranged liberal talking points.” The White House also lashed out at Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, whose recent remark that Trump wanted to “travel with Natalie” sparked a social media firestorm, with the administration calling Ossoff a “feminine theatre kid” with a “dangerous” voting record.
Harp, a former One America News Network (OAN) presenter, was first noticed by Trump in 2019 when she appeared on Fox News and credited him with legislation that she said helped her recover from bone cancer. She spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention and worked for OAN until joining Trump’s team in 2022. Her brother, Preston, told CNN that he believes his sister has an “unhealthy obsession” with the president.
Sources
- The Daily Beast — Published the full letters written by Natalie Harp to Trump in 2023, including quotes and context from Michael Wolff about their discovery and circulation among campaign staff.
- CNN — Reported on the letters’ content, including the quotes “You are all that matters to me” and “You have the absolute right to cuss me out,” and noted that CNN had not independently confirmed the letters were sent by Harp.
- Maggie Haberman (New York Times/CNN) — Confirmed that the letters alarmed the Secret Service and described Harp as “something like a human binky” for Trump in interviews and reporting.
- Yahoo News — Reported on the publication of the letters and the White House’s response through spokesman Davis Ingle.
- The Mirror — Covered Haberman’s statements that the letters and Harp’s devotion alarmed the Secret Service.
- Mediaite — Reported on former Trump aide Sarah Matthews’ comments that Harp’s fixation alarms the Secret Service.
