President Donald Trump left Natalie Harp behind for once. His usual travel companion sat out a Michigan trip on July 27. Trump headed to Milford, Michigan, for a tour of General Motors’ facility, but the aide who rarely leaves his side was missing from the trip. In her place stood Margo Martin, boarding Marine One alongside the president.
Donald Trump replaced Natalie Harp with his female assistant Margo Martin
Donald Trump has spoken highly of Margo Martin in the past, once calling her the “most beautiful woman in the world.” She now holds the title of special assistant to the president and communications advisor, a post she took on at the start of 2025 (via Ok Magazine).
Margo Martin’s time in the administration goes back years. Her first stint began in 2019, when she worked as a press assistant under the White House Office of the Press Secretary. Two years into that role, she earned a promotion to deputy communications director.
Now, Natalie Harp’s no-show with Trump in Michigan was notable mainly because it broke from habit. Few aides travel with Trump as consistently as she does, and her closeness to the president has become something of a talking point on its own. That closeness got a mention in Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. Its authors wrote that Harp has left personal notes for Trump, including one that reportedly said, “You are all that matters to me.”
The book also recounted comments Trump allegedly made about her to White House staff, describing Harp as “the only one who loves him as much as his wife and his kids.” He reportedly continued, “All of you will go off and make money. She’ll never leave me.”
Just days before the Michigan trip, Harp was in her usual position. She was seen boarding Marine One with a red backpack as Trump left for a West Coast swing through Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It was part of a trip that included a Republican National Committee fundraiser at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf club and remarks on tax relief in Nevada.
