Trump Gave Three White House Aides $45,000 Each in Cash Holiday Gifts, Disclosures Show
President Donald Trump gave three senior female aides $45,000 each in cash gifts for the holidays, according to annual financial disclosure statements released by the White House. The payments were reported as a “cash gift for the holidays” by Natalie Harp, Chamberlain Harris and Margo Martin, each of whom earns an annual salary of $150,000.
White House Defends Payments as Personal Tradition
The White House press office issued a statement addressing the president’s cash gifts to the three aides, saying, “The President has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit, including at times employees and aides, both in government and in his time in the private sector.”
“The gifts at issue here have nothing to do with any of these individuals’ official government duties, and, therefore, are entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards,” the statement said.
Harp Draws Scrutiny Amid Broader Attention
The spotlight on Harp, a 35-year-old former far-right television anchor, intensified after Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) mentioned her by name in a now-viral speech criticizing Trump. The Georgia Democrat swiped at the president’s “travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar,” a reference to her joining the president — along with a very limited group — when he secretly boarded a smaller aircraft to leave Turkey due to a threat from Iran in July.
Harp, who frequently types the president’s Truth Social posts as he dictates them to her, has been intensely dedicated to Trump since joining his staff in 2022. She has trailed him across the country, feeding him positive stories, social media posts and other correspondence so frequently that allies dubbed her the “human printer.”
Additional Aide Also Received Holiday Gift
Walt Nauta, a longtime Trump aide, also received a “gift for holidays” from the president. He reported in his financial disclosure statement that the president gave him $20,000. Nauta was once charged in the case involving Trump’s handling of classified documents before the case was dropped.
The Washington Post first reported on the cash gifts.
