President Trump gave substantial cash gifts to four White House aides for last year’s holiday season, according to financial disclosures filed by the White House.
Three of his closest aides, executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris, reported receiving $45,000 each in their annual public financial disclosures. Director of Oval Office operations Walt Nauta accepted a $20,000 gift.
The gifts, on top of each aide’s annual salary of $150,000 to $175,000, totaled $155,000.
The money was described as a “cash gift for the holidays” in the annual disclosures released by the White House.
“The President has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit, including at times employees and aides, both in government and in his time in the private sector,” the White House said in a social media statement. “The gifts at issue here have nothing to do with any of these individuals’ official government duties, and, therefore, are entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards.”
Ms. Harp came to be known by the public most recently for accompanying Mr. Trump on a decoy flight.
In July, Mr. Trump was secretly transferred off Air Force One via a catering truck to a separate military jet due to a potential missile threat, leaving Cabinet members, staff and journalists on the decoy flight.
With Ms. Harp being chosen to fly with the president over Secretary of State Marco Rubio prompted questions over her relationship with Mr. Trump.
Mr. Nauta, a veteran of the U.S. Navy who transitioned from a military valet role into one of Mr. Trump’s most trusted personal assistants and “body men,” also accompanied Mr. Trump on the decoy flight.
He was indicted in 2023 in the classified-documents case against Mr. Trump, accused of helping move and hide boxes of records at Mar-a-Lago. The charges against him were dropped in November 2024.
Ms. Martin frequently travels with the president to document candid moments.
Her proximity to Mr. Trump and high-visibility digital output have made her one of the GOP’s most influential content creators.
Ms. Harris, dubbed “Receptionist of the United States” during Mr. Trump’s first term, continued working for him after he left office in 2021, eventually becoming an executive assistant.
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