Fact Check: Did Trump’s 2018 Right to Try Act save Natalie Harp’s life from bone cancer?

WASHINGTON, DC: Natalie Harp, a close aide to President Donald Trump, is back in the spotlight as her past battle with bone cancer draws renewed attention. A viral post claims Harp credited Trump’s 2018 Right to Try Act with giving her access to lifesaving treatment after other options failed.

Harp has publicly expressed gratitude to Trump and linked her recovery to the law. However, medical experts have questioned whether the law actually enabled the treatment she received. Let’s fact-check the claim. 

Claim: Natalie Harp got lifesaving treatment under Trump’s Right to Try Act

The rumor originated from an X user who claimed that Natalie Harp received lifesaving cancer treatment because of Trump’s 2018 Right to Try Act.

The post defended Harp against criticism, saying she wanted to work for Trump because she was grateful to him.

The video came with a caption saying, "Natalie Harp received lifesaving treatment for her bone cancer as a result of Donald Trump’s 2018 “Right to Try Act,” and wanted to work for the man who made it possible. The attacks on her are disgusting."

The attached video shows Harp speaking at the 2020 Republican National Convention. During the speech, she praised Trump for the law and described him as her “Good Samaritan.”

Harp has repeatedly said that the law helped her access treatment for bone cancer.

The claim has faced scrutiny from medical experts. Harp received an FDA-approved d*ug for an unapproved use, a practice known as off-label use.

The claim gained traction as Harp’s close ties to Trump came under scrutiny. She now serves as his executive assistant and has become known for frequently providing him with printed news articles and other materials. Recent reporting has again highlighted her unusually close role in Trump’s inner circle.

Fact Check: The claim is misleading

The claim is misleading on the key point that Trump’s 2018 Right to Try Act enabled Harp’s lifesaving treatment. Natalie Harp is a bone cancer survivor who has publicly credited the law with helping her access treatment.

Harp has said she was diagnosed with Stage 2 bone cancer. She also described a serious medical error in 2015, when a nurse reportedly gave her sterile water instead of saline through an IV.

The mistake left her with severe pain and limited mobility. She later said that chemotherapy did not work for her and that she could not access clinical trials.

Harp has repeatedly praised Trump and the Right to Try Act, which he signed on May 30, 2018. However, experts and reporting indicate that the treatment Harp described did not depend on the Right to Try Act.

She received an FDA-approved d*ug for an unapproved use, known as off-label treatment. Doctors could already prescribe approved drugs for off-label uses before the Right to Try Act became law.

Harp’s decision to support Trump is consistent with her own explanation.

She has repeatedly expressed gratitude toward him and praised his role in expanding access to experimental treatments. She later worked in pro-Trump media and joined his political operation before becoming a close aide to the president.