President Donald Trump’s executive assistant, Natalie Harp, worked inside the White House for over a year without routine security clearance after repeatedly declining to file the necessary federal forms, according to reports. The clearance delay prompted an intervention by Trump himself.
White House Security Scrutiny Over Natalie Harp
Top West Wing officials raised internal red flags over Natalie Harp’s clearance status after she declined multiple times over the course of more than a year to complete the standard vetting process required for staff working near the president. According to individuals familiar with the matter, Harp’s reasons for declining to fill out the paperwork remained unknown internally.
A senior White House official noted that while Harp received multiple extensions to complete the paperwork due to the lengthy nature of the process, she repeatedly held off until concerns mounted within the White House counsel’s office and among security officials.
The situation shifted only when President Trump personally intervened, prompting Harp to fill out the necessary forms to launch a formal background investigation and finally receive her security clearance in recent months.
Proximity to the President and National Security Concerns
As executive assistant and special assistant to the president, Harp operates with unusual closeness to Donald Trump, filtering much of the daily information he receives since he returned to the White House in January 2025. National security officials voiced concern that her round-the-clock proximity in the West Wing and presidential residence gives her access to highly sensitive information surpassing that of nearly all other senior staff.
Known widely by the nickname the human printer
for carrying a portable device to supply the president with printouts of favorable news coverage, positive poll numbers, and messages from confidants, Harp has emerged as a powerful gatekeeper. Unnamed sources reported that she plays into the less productive and more troublesome parts of his nature by placing unvetted materials in front of him. Top staff members reportedly made subtle, unsuccessful moves to create distance between Harp and the president.
Ethics experts condemned the reported vetting delay.
“It is shocking that an aide who has potential exposure to the nation’s most sensitive secrets reportedly went without a security clearance for so long. Treating access to confidences as a casual job perk is an outrageous way to handle our national security.”
Norm Eisen, former White House ethics tsar
David Axelrod, who served as chief strategist and senior adviser to Barack Obama, posted on social media that if the reporting is true, it is a deadly serious issue for the person closest to the president’s thinking on a daily basis to lack clearance and refuse the process.
Political Flashpoint Following Ossoff Remarks
The scrutiny surrounding Harp intensified after Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia invoked her name during an Atlanta campaign rally on Sunday. Ossoff criticized the administration’s priorities and alluded to reports that Harp was part of a small group accompanying Trump on a military aircraft departing Turkey amid concerns over a potential Iranian attack.
Ossoff’s remarks drew swift condemnation from conservatives and Republican opponents.
“Natalie Harp has a security clearance like everyone else, and she is a loyal and hardworking member of President Trump’s team.”
Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary
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