The woman known as Donald Trump’s “human printer,” who got so close to the U.S. president that the Secret Service was concerned, features prominently in an excerpt from a new book by journalist Michael Wolff.
Natalie Harp, 33, spent two years as an anchor at the conservative One America News Network before signing on to Donald Trump’s 2022 presidential campaign, and more recently becoming one of his closest aides.
Wolff’s book was recently excerpted in Vanity Fair magazine in an article titled: “Bring Me the Poison”: On the Trail with Trump’s Inner Circle of Suck-Ups.” Readers discover that the “poison” referred to is a basket of candy he frequently calls for during his workday.
Here are a few things we learned about Harp from the book excerpt and other news reports.
Who is Natalie Harp?
Harp grew up in a conservative Christian family in California. She earned a BA from at Point Loma Nazarene University, a Christian liberal arts college in San Diego. and has an MBA from Liberty University, a privateevangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Harp came to the fore in 2019 when she publicly credited Trump’s Right to Try law for saving her from bone cancer. It’s a federal law that allows terminally ill patients access to experimental therapies that have passed Phase I testing, but have not been fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Harp’s cancer treatment seems to have had an impact on her career trajectory. After allegedly benefiting from experimental treatments, she became an outspoken supporter of the legislation, Liberty University (LU) said in a 2019 press release.
However, her assertion that Trump’s “Right to Try” law saved her life from bone cancer has been questioned by experts. The timeline of her treatment and the nature of the drugs she received suggest that her claims may be inaccurate.
Nonetheless, she drew on her personal story to advocate for patients’ rights to access experimental treatments and that advocacy led to appearances on national media, including Fox News, where she shared her journey and credited Trump’s policies for her improved health.
How did Harp join Trump’s team?
Harp wrote opinion pieces and spoke at political events, including the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s conference, says LU. Her media appearances eventually led to her becoming a television personality on the conservative news channel.
Meanwhile, her public support for Trump’s policies and personal story caught the president’s attention and ultimately led to her joining Trump’s election campaign communications team.
Harp is expected to assume a significant, ongoing role in Trump’s administration, potentially becoming a key gatekeeper of information to and from the president, according to The New York Times.
Why is she called the human printer?
Harp is known for sticking close by Trump’s side, printing emails and news stories on the wireless mini printer, paper and rechargeable batteries that she carries with her constantly. Harp is responsible for feeding Trump a steady stream of news articles, social media posts, and other information, primarily in printed form, as 77-year-old Trump prefers reading printed material rather than straining his eyes on a smartphone.
He would often demand time in his schedule to go over “my papers,” writes Wolff, author of All or Nothing. (During his first term, he reportedly avoided papers.) His “papers” now consist almost entirely what Harp prints out — the curation her own, Wolff claims.
He writes about an incident during an abrupt takeoff that sent Trump’s pages flying off his table.
“Everyone had to suddenly scurry to collect them, seeing, dumbfounded, the contents. (It) was a random collection of out-of-date articles and printouts from obscure websites and fan artwork downloaded from strange Trump-adoring places on the internet — all of which he was hoarding like these were national secrets.”
What else does Harp do for Trump?
Aside from providing a non-stop flow of information that she curates, Trump also designates her to communicate with members of Congress.
She regularly communicates with lawmakers, says Fox News, sending them media articles, as well as polling them about their views on issues and legislation.
She also manages Trump’s Truth Social account, playing a significant role in his online presence.
Why was the Secret Service worried about Harp?
Harp’s relationship with Trump has been described as intensely devoted, with her writing adoring letters to him. In fact, her devotion to him has sparked concern among the Secret Service. Trump has dismissed these concerns, instead responding that Harp ” just loves her president.”
She became a common site during Trump’s regular golf games. She follows him in a separate golf cart, supplying him with what she thinks he might want to know.
One summer, when the 2024 campaign team moved to Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, N.J., other staff concerned about her zealous devotion ensured she was not provided accommodation. She didn’t raise this with Trump, writes Wolff. Instead, she spoke to the grounds staff and obtained a maid’s room. But when that was too far from the main house to respond quickly to Trump’s calls, she relocated to the women’s locker room. She spent the summer there, “with undiminished proximity to Trump,” writes Wolff.
However, her devotion to Trump, including writing adoring letters, has been described as peculiar and potentially problematic. In one letter, Harp reportedly told Trump that “you are all that matters to me” and referred to him as her “Guardian and Protector in this Life.”
The Secret Service kept on eye on her, Wolff claims: “Natalie was, as a security consideration, they advised, a potential danger to herself as well as to the president.”
The revelation of her letters to Trump has led to increased media scrutiny of Harp’s role and her influence on Trump’s communication strategies during the election, particularly her management of his social media presence. They have also become a increasing topic of political discussion — as an example of unusual dynamics within Trump’s inner circle.
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