White House Calls Journalist ‘Sick, Deluded Freak’ Over Natalie Harp Post

The White House on Saturday branded a journalist a "sick, deluded freak" over a post made about President Donald Trump’s close aide Natalie Harp.

Journalist Aaron Rupar shared a photo of Harp at a welcome function for Trump at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Dublin following the president's arrival in Ireland on Saturday. "Look who made the trip to Ireland! #TravelWithNatalie," Rupar wrote alongside the photo in a post on X.

The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account fired back, writing: "President Trump does, in fact, travel with staff. Aaron, on the other hand, is a sick, deluded freak (in his 40s) who sits behind a keyboard and posts creepy things like this."

Rupar replied: "The taxpayer-funded White House incitement account is now attacking me for [checks notes] being in my 40s."

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.

Harp has been a constant presence by Trump’s side for years, but her relationship with the president has come under the spotlight in the weeks since Senator Jon Ossoff mentioned her by name in a speech criticizing Trump's work habits. This has prompted Rupar, who is a frequent critic of the president, to post about her a number of times.

Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, accused Trump of not wanting to do his job, saying he prefers to "travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar," a reference to reports that Harp was among the small group of people who joined Trump when he secretly swapped planes while leaving Turkey in July due to a threat from Iran.

Ossoff’s remark prompted a sharp response from the White House, leading to fresh attention on Harp's influence in the administration.

"Natalie Harp is one of the most loyal and hardest working aides on President Trump's team," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek, adding that Ossoff is a "feminine theater kid who voted to massively raise taxes, give illegal immigrants free taxpayer-funded healthcare, and defund federal immigration enforcement and Border Patrol."

Harp made headlines again last week when new financial disclosures released by the Trump administration revealed the president gave holiday cash gifts of $45,000 to Harp and two other aides, raising legal and ethics concerns. A White House official told Newsweek that the gifts were not related to the recipients’ official government duties and "therefore are entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards."

Last month, the White House's Rapid Response 47 account slammed CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes in a series of posts after she asked the president about Ossoff's criticism.

"Senator Jon Ossoff said that you'd rather travel with your aide Natalie Harp and build a ballroom than do your job as president, what is your response?" Holmes had asked Trump.

Trump responded by mocking Ossoff's appearance, before saying he "would much rather do other things."

He then added: "No, I would much rather do other things and say, um, we're building a great facility here. We're fixing the White House that hasn't been taken care of."

Shortly afterward, the White House's Rapid Response 47 account called Holmes "a disgraceful, humiliating embarrassment to her alleged profession" and accused her of taking "a cheap shot" at one of Trump's staff members.

In another post, the account shared another post that tagged Holmes. It said: "Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question. They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive."

Harp, 35, has become one of the most recognizable figures in Trump's inner circle, serving as one of his closest aides who frequently accompanies him on trips and manages his Truth Social account.

Born in California to a devout Christian family, Harp graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2012 and earned her MBA from Liberty University in 2015.

She first came to the president's attention in 2019, when she appeared alongside him and publicly credited the president and his "Right to Try" legislation with helping save her life, a claim that would become central to her public identity and political rise. Harp, who was diagnosed with Stage 2 bone cancer in her 20s, said being able to try experimental medication helped her achieve great results.

Trump named Harp to the advisory board of his 2020 reelection campaign and she addressed the 2020 Republican National Convention, delivering a speech that focused heavily on her health battle and gratitude toward Trump.

Harp was a television presenter for One America News Network between 2020 and 2022.

After leaving OAN in 2022, Harp moved closer to Trump's day-to-day operation. She joined his post-presidency team and gradually became an increasingly trusted aide as he prepared another run for the White House.

Her profile rose during the 2024 campaign, when she became known as the president's "human printer" because she carried a portable printer with her so she could print out favorable news articles and social media posts for Trump, who prefers reading information on paper rather than on a screen.

When Trump returned to the White House in 2025, Trump appointed her as executive assistant to the president.

Since then, she has remained one of the most visible aides in Trump's entourage, frequently accompanying him on domestic and international trips and often appearing in photos alongside the president at the White House, on Air Force One and at official events.