Trump gave three aides $45,000 cash gifts, forms show

Financial disclosure forms released by the White House show US President Donald Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to three White House employees, including executive assistant Natalie Harp.

The forms said Harp, Margo Martin and Chamberlain Harris each received the money last year and described it as a “cash gift for the holidays.” The forms show the money came from Trump himself, not public coffers.

The payments were first reported by The Washington Post.

Harp, 35, is a special assistant and executive assistant to the president and earns $150,000 a year, according to an annual report to Congress. She has been a frequent presence alongside Trump during his second term and has been nicknamed the “human printer” because she carries a portable printer for documents Trump requests.

Harp is one of the few officials with direct access to Trump’s Truth Social account and types posts as he dictates them, according to footage in a 2024 election campaign documentary.

A White House spokesperson defended the gifts, citing Trump’s “longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit, including at times employees and aides.” The spokesperson said on X that the gifts were unrelated to the recipients’ duties and were “entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards.”

The Washington Post also reported that Walt Nauta, director of White House Oval Office operations, listed a $20,000 presidential gift in addition to his $175,000 annual salary.