Natalie Harp scored a prime spot on Donald Trump’s helicopter ride that nobody was supposed to see. The president’s executive assistant joined him for the maiden flight from his new White House helipad as a media boycott turned the ceremony into an unexpected spectacle.
Natalie Harp boarded Marine One with Donald Trump and other senior aides after the new South Lawn helipad opened
Natalie Harp, President Donald Trump’s 35-year-old executive assistant, boarded Marine One through the rear of the helicopter after Trump’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new South Lawn helipad on Monday, The Daily Beast reported. She joined chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, and communications adviser Margo Martin for the flight. Trump called it the helicopter’s “maiden voyage” from the $13 million landing pad.
The presidential entourage flew to Joint Base Andrews before boarding Air Force One for New York City. Trump is set to attend the United Nations General Assembly beginning Tuesday. Harp had also accompanied Trump on a Friday trip to Camp David and traveled back with him late Saturday.
However, the ceremony itself became a spectacle for different reasons. All major TV networks skipped the ribbon-cutting event in protest of Trump’s ban on CNN, Politico, and MS NOW. NBC, ABC, CBS, and even Fox News collectively refused to cover the event.
The White House broadcast the ceremony on YouTube instead. The livestream carried no usable audio, with Marine One’s engines drowning out Trump’s remarks. He delivered his inaudible speech before cutting a red, white, and blue ribbon with oversized gold scissors.
Harp’s presence drew additional scrutiny amid new revelations about her influence. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that Harp had played Trump clips of MS NOW anchors criticizing his administration. That viewing session occurred just hours before Trump erupted on Truth Social against the three outlets.
The three banned outlets subsequently filed a lawsuit on Monday against Trump, Wiles, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, and Secret Service Director Sean Curran. The suit challenged the revocation of their White House access. Harp has faced growing attention for her role as a gatekeeper who prints articles and social media posts for the 80-year-old president.
