Maggie Haberman Reveals Natalie Harp Wields Astonishing Power in WH, Acts as ‘Channel’ to Trump for Foreign Leaders

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman revealed the incredible reach of longtime Trump aide Natalie Harp inside the White House, saying she wields extraordinary power in the Oval Office and even acts as a “channel” to foreign leaders on the president’s behalf.

Haberman detailed Harp’s unusual role during a Wednesday appearance on CNN’s OutFront, following a New York Times report examining the aide’s access to President Donald Trump and influence over the information reaching him.

The journalist told host Erin Burnett that the aide occupies a position that does not neatly fit into the traditional White House hierarchy, but gives her significant influence because of her proximity to the president.

“And part of it is, you know, he will describe to other aides that — and said this during the interregnum period — that, you know, everyone else will go off and make money, she’ll never leave. That essentially, she is the person who loves him as much as his wife and children. And she serves a specific purpose,” Haberman said.

She continued: “In a White House, in a government, there are other channels, official channels of information. You know, she doesn’t provide him with his national security briefing, the presidential daily brief, she is not the White House staff secretary, which is supposed to be the last step for paper flow. She’s not the press secretary from whom certain media requests are supposed to come. She is a channel by which, as you said, foreign leaders try to reach him if they can’t some other way.”

“She has a channel by which he reaches people he sees on television, who he likes what they are saying, or that he will send out notes to,” she added.

Haberman noted that Harp is with Trump “so much of the day during those meetings” and “is talking to him throughout the evening about social media posts.”

“So, she is a specific channel of information, but she is one that he considers very important, and so do other people outside the White House,” she said.

Scrutiny of Harp’s role has increased since Senator Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) jab at a rally on Sunday, mocking that the president prefers to “travel with Natalie” rather than deal with real policy issues.

In her book Regime Change, co-authored with Jonathan Swan, Haberman writes that Harp left Trump admiring notes in his “personal places,” including one that read: “You are all that matters to me.”

At the time, the aide’s estranged brother called her relationship with Trump “very unhealthy.”

Watch above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!