{
  "id": 7764652,
  "title": "Why is the White House being so weird about Natalie Harp again? | Arwa Mahdawi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/why-is-the-white-house-being-so-weird-about-natalie-harp-again-arwa",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T10:00:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/16/why-is-the-white-house-being-so-weird-about-natalie-harp-again"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The White House has been unusually cautious about Natalie Harp, Donald Trump's assistant, once again. This time, Harp traveled with the president to Ireland, a fact that might seem mundane. However, the White House's comms team has been making a point of emphasizing this aspect of his trip. The president visited Ireland for golf, meetings with leaders, and to make controversial remarks about unification. Melania Trump did not join her husband on the trip, but Harp was clearly by his side. Harp, a 35-year-old aide, gained significant media attention last month after a Democratic senator jokingly suggested that Trump's sole reason for his trip was to \"build his ballroom and travel with Natalie.\" The White House's reaction to this remark was notably aggressive, with the administration calling the senator a \"cuck loser.\" This response led to a media frenzy, drawing attention to Harp, who is known for her obsessive behavior towards Trump. She often follows him with a portable printer, ready to capture flattering press clippings of him. Recently, it was revealed that Trump had given Harp, along with two other female aides, a $45,000 cash gift for a vacation. This unusual spending raises questions about the White House's approach to Harp, who appears to be a significant figure in the president's entourage, despite her relatively young age and the fact that she is not Melania Trump.",
  "summary": "The president’s assistant travelled with him to Ireland – which really shouldn’t be much of a story. But his comms team seems determined to make it one Passport, money, emotional support human: Donald Trump had all the travel essentials on his recent trip to Ireland . The president flew into Dublin on Saturday morning to play golf, meet the country’s leaders and make provocative comments about…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
        "title": "US military prepares ceremonial welcome for Xi Jinping at the White House",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/us-military-prepares-ceremonial-welcome-for-xi-jinping-at-the-white",
        "published": "2026-09-16T10:03:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}