Former President Donald Trump personally ordered his longtime aide, Natalie Harp, to complete her security clearance after she had refused to cooperate with security officials for more than a year. Harp, 35, had repeatedly declined to complete the routine process required of West Wing staffers and presidential aides who are regularly exposed to highly classified information.
Trump intervened after White House lawyers and security officials briefed him on their concerns regarding Harp's refusal to cooperate. The exact reasons for her initial non-compliance remain unclear. In recent months, Harp has reportedly completed the necessary paperwork for a federal background investigation and obtained the clearance.
The absence of a security clearance was considered an extraordinary red flag and one of several concerns raised by members of Trump's inner circle regarding Harp over the past year. She has maintained largely unrestricted access to the president, serving as his personal secretary and reportedly functioning as a 'human printer,' supplying him with news articles, social media posts, and other information throughout the day.
Harp recently drew criticism from Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff after it emerged she was one of the few aides Trump took aboard a secret plane during an Iranian assassination threat in July.
Personal letters written by Harp to Trump have also resurfaced. In one letter, she described forgetting to eat and sleep while working for him, stating, 'You are all that matters to me.' In another letter, published by the Daily Mail in February of the previous year, she apologized for any embarrassment caused by her attempts to keep up with him during his May 2023 golf trip to Scotland, where she ran behind his golf cart because no other vehicles were available.
Her devotion to Trump has been consistently displayed. In October 2023, after being told there was no room for her in the motorcade to a New York court appearance, Harp insisted on accompanying Trump, reportedly becoming upset when told no space was available. She allegedly rode in the trunk of an SUV to remain close to him.
Journalist Michael Wolff reported that Harp spent the summer of 2023 sleeping in the women's locker room at Trump's Bedminster golf club to stay near him. Additionally, journalist Alex Isenstadt reported that Melania Trump once encountered Harp late at night inside Trump's private quarters at Mar-a-Lago, an area typically restricted to family members.