'Natalie, I think': Abdul El-Sayed takes a swipe at Trump's close aide
Natalie, I think he’s had a little too much iPad for the week. He needs his rest. https://t.co/QwgGEtQY2p
— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) August 22, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC: Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, mocked President Donald Trump by invoking Natalie Harp in a jab about the president's iPad use.
El-Sayed's remark came after Trump accused him of campaigning with a “communist fanatic” in a Friday night attack.
El-Sayed responded on Saturday, August 22, in a post on X aimed at Harp, Trump's executive assistant.
Abdul El-Sayed turns Trump attack into Natalie Harp jab
El-Sayed wrote, “Natalie, I think he’s had a little too much iPad for the week. He needs his rest.”
The response directly invoked Harp as he pushed back against Trump's attack on his Senate campaign.
El-Sayed, 41, is running for Senate in Michigan, and his response came the day after Trump's Friday night remarks.
Harp, 35, is paid $150,000 annually and has been dubbed Trump's “human printer” because she follows him with printouts of articles and social media posts, according to the Daily Beast report.
The report also said Harp helps Trump craft his posts and has become more visible in recent weeks.
The letters obtained by the Daily Beast showed communication between Harp and Trump that went beyond a typical boss-subordinate relationship.
Harp wrote in a 2023 letter that she was envious of women “whose only job seems to be to talk with you and look pretty.”
She also wrote that she missed the days when Trump would call and “we’d talk about everything and nothing.”
Trump's aide has drawn new attention
Harp left her job as a right-wing One America News host to work for Trump in 2022 and now frequently travels with him when he leaves Washington, according to the outlet.
The report said Harp was one of three aides who left Air Force One in a catering truck with Trump during a security threat in Ankara, Turkey.
Senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House press remained on the plane.
The New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman has described Harp as Trump's “human binkie,” comparing her role around the president to a comfort blanket.
Democratic Sen Jon Ossoff also used a rally last weekend to criticize Trump's relationship with Harp.
“He doesn’t want to do the job,” Ossoff said. “He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.”
The Daily Beast report said Ossoff later doubled down, while criticism from Trump's supporters brought additional attention to Harp.
Natalie Harp also addressed her nickname
In another recently disclosed letter to Trump, Harp wrote, “You are all that matters to me,” and “I don't want to ever let you down.”
She also addressed the “human printer” label, writing, “I don't have to be 'human printer'. I could take time to enjoy good conversation, and still get all my work done at the end of the day.”
Concerns were also raised about Harp's security clearance after MS Now reported that she consistently declined to participate in the standard security vetting process for over a year.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed that account, saying, “Natalie Harp has a security clearance like everyone else, and she is a loyal and hardworking member of President Trump's team.”
