Natalie Harp climbed into an SUV trunk to accompany Trump, here's what explains her unusual loyalty

WASHINGTON, DC: Natalie Harp was determined to stay close to President Donald Trump, so much so that when there was no room for her inside his SUV, she climbed into the trunk of a vehicle in his entourage.

The unusual moment happened in October 2023, outside a New York City courthouse during a scheduled Trump appearance. But Harp insisted that Trump had personally asked her to accompany him.

A confrontation followed in the lobby and Harp got into the trunk of another SUV. A photo obtained by CNN confirmed the unusual arrangement. 

The image has now drawn renewed attention to Harp and her close relationship with Trump. While we know why she climbed into a trunk. What remains unanswered is Harp’s extraordinary closeness to Trump?

Preston Harp explains Natalie Harp’s Trump loyalty

Natalie’s estranged brother, Preston Harp, has offered his own explanation for his sister’s extraordinary devotion to Trump.

For Preston, his sister’s relationship with Trump appears to be about more than just her political beliefs. He believes Trump has become a personal figure of importance in her life.

“I think that she does see Trump as a kind of father figure because he embodies the doctrine of American exceptionalism,” Preston said in an interview with the Daily Beast in July.

He, however, took it further and claimed it was beyond his understanding “why my sister, or anyone could want to work for Trump.”

Preston, in his interview, explained that Trump surrounds himself with people who act as his personal fan club. “She’s his biggest fan,” Preston said.

“And so that’s probably why he likes her and like, she’s good-looking.”

He confirmed that his sister fits this description perfectly, explaining why she has risen to the highest tier of the president’s inner circle.

 Preston clarified that while he broke away from his mother's worldview, Harp "never broke out of that delusion" and recognized those childhood lessons in Trump's "America First" agenda.

But Preston’s explanation is only one way of looking at the relationship. Is that all there is to this story? 

Harp’s own history with Trump, her work around him and the way the president treats her offer a much larger picture.

How Trump became a central figure in Natalie Harp’s story

Harp’s connection with Trump started with her own experience with cancer.

She has been clear about the fact that Trump’s support for the ‘Right to Try’ law helped her access treatment. That claim has been questioned in previous reporting, but it remains an important part of how Harp has described her connection to the president.

Before entering the spotlight, Harp worked behind the scenes on Republican congressional campaigns. She first entered Trump's personal orbit in 2019 after appearing on 'Fox & Friends' where she publicly credited him.  

This appearance opened the doors for a speaking slot at the 2020 Republican National Convention and an advisory role on his 2020 campaign.

Following the RNC, she entered media, working as a television host and anchor for the conservative One America News Network (OAN). The next step after OAN was getting appointed as Trump's communications aide and personal assistant at Mar-a-Lago.

Then, after Trump won the 2024 election, she made it directly into the West Wing, where she serves as his executive assistant.

Natalie Harp’s unusual role in Trump’s inner circle

Today, Harp’s role has been described as involving a wide range of tasks around the president, including printing material he asks for, passing along messages, collecting news stories and handling material connected to his Truth Social posts.

She has reportedly been dubbed the “human printer” because of how frequently she supplies Trump with printed material and information.

One Republican lawmaker described her to CNN as someone who is always responsive. “She always responds. I don’t know how she manages it all,” they said.

Trump himself has reportedly praised her speed, telling allies, “Natalie is so fast,” after asking her to find or print something.

Her proximity has also meant being present during meetings and traveling with Trump.

Recently, she was among a small group of aides who accompanied him during the unusual aircraft switch in Turkey in July, when Trump secretly boarded a smaller aircraft because of an alleged Iranian threat.

That incident later became part of a political attack from Democratic Sen Jon Ossoff, who referred to Trump’s “travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar.”

The White House strongly pushed back against Ossoff’s comments.

'Committed and loyal' to a 'father-figure'

The descriptions of Harp’s relationship with Trump vary depending on who is speaking. 

Preston sees a deeper emotional connection, describing Trump as a “father figure” for his sister. He has also called her devotion an “unhealthy obsession.”

People close to Trump have offered a different explanation. One White House adviser told CNN that Trump “likes the attention and the fact that she is 100% committed and loyal.”

“She doesn’t second guess, doesn’t question,” the adviser added.

According to CNN, others inside Trump’s orbit have raised concerns about the extent of Harp’s access. Some advisers have reportedly wanted private meetings with Trump only to find Harp present as well.

She has also been described as ‘territorial’ about her relationship with the president and has told others that she reports only to him.

In 'Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump', Haberman and Jonathan Swan reported that Harp leaves the president private notes in “personal spaces.”

The book stated that one of the “adoring letters” that Harp “left in his personal spaces” during Trump’s time out of power included the line “you are all that matters to me.”

A White House official, however, pushed back against those complaints, saying Harp works well with colleagues.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle described her as “one of the most loyal and hardest working aides on President Trump’s team.” 

Another person familiar with the relationship told CNN that Harp and Trump have a “father-daughter” relationship.

In the end, while the SUV trunk story may be the strangest image of Natalie’s relationship with Trump, it is also the clearest illustration of just how far that relationship has come.

From crediting Trump with helping save her life to becoming one of the aides closest to him, Harp has built a place for herself in his orbit that few others appear to occupy.