A former White House aide has described Natalie Harp's loyalty to Donald Trump as "extreme devotion" and "borderline obsession," remarks that come amid renewed public attention on the relationship between the former president and his aide.
Sarah Matthews, who served as White House deputy press secretary during Trump's first term, told MS NOW on Wednesday that she believes "there’s something weird going on" with Harp's intense focus on the former president.
"And I think that a lot of aides who are working in Trump 2.0 feel the same," Matthews stated.
Matthews noted that while many Republicans have defended Harp, who has been referred to as Trump's "human printer," and some have interpreted Senator Jon Ossoff's recent remarks as suggesting an inappropriate relationship, her own observations differ.
Harp is reportedly somewhat of a loner within the White House, according to Matthews, who added that many perceive Harp's "obsession with him and think that it’s a little odd." She qualified this by saying, "And that’s saying something for an administration full of sycophants."
Matthews emphasized that Harp, as one of the "gatekeepers" of Trump's social media, has earned a significant level of trust. She stated that Harp is responsible for sharing content with Trump, including a racist post depicting the Obamas as apes.
"So she’s feeding him AI slop in addition to lavishing him with praise and feeding him positive tweets and news articles to boost his ego, and I think that’s why he keeps her so close," Matthews suggested. "Because she is this sycophant who is so obsessed with him that it alarms Secret Service, but he likes the way that she makes him feel."
Trump has reportedly treated Harp "like a daughter" and referred to her as "sweetie," telling staffers that she was the "only one who loved him as much as his wife and his kids," according to reporting from The New York Times' Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman in their book "Regime Change."
"All of you will go off and make money," Trump told his staff, as recounted by Swan and Haberman. "She’ll never leave me."
An image from June shows Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, White House aide Natalie Harp, and President Donald Trump walking on a golf course.