Donald Trump’s closest aide, Natalie Harp, reportedly worked in the White House for more than a year without obtaining a standard security clearance. She reportedly refused to complete routine paperwork needed for clearance. This prompts scrutiny over who has access to the nation’s most sensitive information.
White House being questioned about Natalie Harp’s reported lack of security clearance
Natalie Harp serves as special assistant and executive assistant to the president. She repeatedly declined to complete routine paperwork required for West Wing staffers to handle classified material. The situation only changed after concerns mounted within the White House Counsel’s office and security officials. Reportedly, Donald Trump himself had to intervene (via MS Now).
Harp eventually filled out the SF-86 form—a lengthy federal document covering past residences, financial history, and foreign contacts—and received clearance in recent months. But the delay has raised alarms among national security experts and former White House officials across the political spectrum.
One national security official voiced concern that Harp’s proximity to Trump, both in the West Wing and at his residence, gives her access to the most sensitive information around Trump. This is allegedly more than nearly all other senior White House officials. The White House defended Harp. “Natalie Harp has a security clearance like everyone else, and she is a loyal and hardworking member of President Trump’s team,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
But critics argue the episode reflects a broader pattern. Norm Eisen, a former White House ethics official, called it “shocking that an aide who has potential exposure to the nation’s most sensitive secrets reportedly went without a security clearance for so long” (via The Guardian).
Harp’s influence has drawn internal frustration from Trump’s top aides. She filters much of the information the president sees daily, delivering printouts of favorable coverage and messages from confidants. Harp “plays into the less productive and more troublesome parts of his nature, putting things in front of him that aren’t vetted,” one person claimed.
All in all, as Harp continues to accompany Trump everywhere, including aboard Air Force One and during a covert aircraft switch in Turkey, the scrutiny continues.
