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President Donald Trump gave White House aide Natalie Harp a $45,000 cash holiday gift last year, according to a financial disclosure filed with the administration, an unusually large personal payment to a federal employee that has drawn scrutiny from government ethics experts.
Harp, Trump’s executive assistant and a frequent presence at his side, reported receiving the money directly from Trump. Her disclosure describes the payment as a “Cash gift for the holidays” and lists Trump as the source, with his Palm Beach, Florida, address.
The $45,000 payment was in addition to Harp’s $150,000 annual White House salary, meaning the gift was equal to 30% of her government compensation.
Trump also gave $45,000 holiday gifts to communications adviser Margo Martin and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris, according to their disclosures. Walt Nauta, the director of Oval Office operations, reported receiving a $20,000 gift. The four payments totaled $155,000.
Harp’s Unusually Close Role
Harp, 35, is among the aides with the most direct access to Trump. She frequently accompanies the president and became known during Trump’s 2024 campaign as the “human printer” because she carried a portable printer to provide him with hard copies of news articles and social media posts.
She began working for Trump in 2022 after previously working as an anchor for One America News Network. She joined the White House as a presidential appointee when Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Harp’s visibility has increased in recent weeks. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., referenced her during a campaign rally in August while criticizing Trump’s priorities and his frequent travel with close aides.
The disclosures show that Harp and the other recipients have maintained close working relationships with Trump dating back to his first administration, his time outside government and his return to the White House.
Three Aides Received $45,000
Martin, Trump’s communications adviser, also reported a $45,000 holiday gift. She frequently travels with Trump and records and posts videos of the president for social media.
Harris, the deputy director of Oval Office operations, received the same amount. Trump appointed Harris earlier this year to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which reviews certain construction and design projects in Washington, including the proposed White House ballroom.
Nauta reported receiving $20,000. He has served Trump for years, including as his personal aide and valet during Trump’s first administration, and later became director of Oval Office operations.
The disclosures do not specify the dates on which the gifts were given beyond describing them as holiday gifts.
Ethics Questions Surround the Payments
The size of the payments has prompted questions from former government ethics officials about whether personal gifts from a president to federal employees could implicate federal restrictions on supplemental compensation.
Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, told The Washington Post that the payments appear to raise concerns under a federal law that restricts outside supplementation of federal employees’ salaries.
Former acting Office of Government Ethics director Don Fox offered a more cautious assessment, saying the available facts do not establish that the payments violate the law. He noted that the circumstances surrounding the gifts would matter in determining whether they constituted prohibited supplemental compensation.
Fox also said that even if the payments were permissible, a large personal gift from a president to a subordinate could create concerns about the recipient feeling indebted to the person who controls their employment.
The Washington Post reported that ethics experts were not aware of other public examples of U.S. presidents giving White House employees cash payments of this size.
White House Defends the Gifts
A White House spokesperson said Trump has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit, including employees and aides who have worked for him in government and in the private sector.
The White House said the payments were unrelated to the recipients’ official duties and therefore were permissible under applicable legal and ethical standards.
The financial disclosures themselves identify the payments as personal holiday gifts rather than compensation for government work.
The filings provide no indication that the payments were tied to specific official actions by the aides. Whether the gifts comply with federal compensation and ethics rules could depend on the circumstances surrounding the payments and how applicable laws are interpreted.
