Natalie Harp, a close aide to US President Donald Trump, has faced growing scrutiny over her unusually close proximity to the President. Her estranged brother, Preston Harp, has said she is fiercely loyal to Trump, describing her relationship with him as an “unhealthy obsession.”
Preston, in an interview with CNN’s OutFront, offered a personal account of his sister’s longstanding interest in politics and her close relationship with Trump. His comments came after Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff publicly questioned Harp’s unusually close presence around the President.
‘Trump’s biggest fan’
Preston said he believes Harp’s devotion to Trump is partly rooted in the political values with which they were raised.
“Trump is like everything that my mom taught us to respect,” he said in the CNN interview.
He claimed their mother emphasized American exceptionalism and the idea that the United States was “the boss of the world.”
Preston said his sister had not moved beyond the worldview she was raised with.
“She didn’t break out of the delusion that my mom raised us with,” he said.
He also linked Harp’s support for Trump to issues including efforts to remove books from schools and what he described as attempts to rewrite history.
‘She thinks that he saved her life’
Preston said his sister’s relationship with Trump goes beyond ordinary political loyalty.
“I think that Trump’s best friends are people who are his fan club, and so she’s his biggest fan, and that’s probably why he likes her,” he said.
He added: “She’s good-looking; she’s got a good personality.”
Preston also said Harp believes Trump played an important role in her life.
“She thinks that he saved her life,” he said.
Harp, a cancer survivor, has previously spoken publicly about how Trump supported her during her battle with cancer.
Harp’s political interest began before Trump
Preston said his sister’s interest in politics predates her relationship with Trump.
“She’s always had an obsession with politics,” he said, recalling that she had written letters to previous presidents.
He specifically mentioned former President George W. Bush during the Iraq war.
“Her dream came true finally,” Preston said of Harp’s eventual proximity to the White House.
Why is Natalie Harp so close to Trump?
Harp has become one of the most visible aides around Trump.
A former television news personality, she has been nicknamed the “human printer” because she carries a portable printer and produces documents and information Trump requests.
Her role reportedly goes beyond simply providing paperwork. She is frequently near Trump in the Oval Office, on Marine One and aboard the presidential aircraft.
Harp is also among the aides with access to Trump’s Truth Social account. Footage from the documentary Art of the Surge showed her typing posts as Trump dictated them, including Trump’s characteristic use of capital letters.
Her proximity has led to descriptions of her as a gatekeeper who helps determine what information reaches the president.
She was also reportedly among the few aides accompanying Trump during a secret aircraft switch after he was moved from Air Force One to another plane while attending a NATO summit in Turkey.
Those incidents have fueled questions about just how close Harp is to the president.
Ossoff raises questions about Harp
The controversy intensified after Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff mentioned Harp during a campaign speech.
Ossoff said Trump wanted to: “build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar.”
The remarks referred to Trump’s proposed White House ballroom and his use of a Qatari aircraft.
Ossoff, who is viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender, has faced conservative criticism over the comments.
Trump responded by attacking Ossoff as a “Pee-wee Herman lookalike” while defending his plans for the White House ballroom.
Eric Trump defends Natalie Harp
Preston’s remarks have been dismissed by Trump’s son, Eric Trump/
“This is absolute trash,” Eric Trump wrote on X.
He defended Harp as a loyal and hardworking White House aide.
“Natalie is an incredible young woman — a cancer survivor, a genuinely good person, and arguably one of the hardest-working people in the White House,” Eric Trump said.
“She’s deeply committed to my father, to her job, and to this country,” he added.
White House attacks CNN reporter
The controversy also triggered a confrontation between the White House and CNN reporter Kristen Holmes.
During an Oval Office event, Holmes asked Trump about Ossoff’s comments concerning Harp.
The White House’s Rapid Response account subsequently attacked Holmes on X, accusing her of using an event honoring a teenage lifeguard to take a “cheap shot” at one of Trump’s staffers.
“Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question,” the White House account said.
Trump himself called Holmes “very disrespectful” and told her she was a “loud, boisterous person” and “fake news” during the event.
CNN strongly defended its reporter.
“We stand firmly behind Kristen and reject these attacks in the strongest possible terms,” the network said, describing the White House’s response as “beneath the office.”
