Natalie Harp, President Donald Trump’s 35-year-old female aide, could very well score a senior administration role due to her unusual “hold” over the president, veteran political journalist Chris Whipple argued on Saturday.
Following the abrupt departure last month of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speculation has grown as to who might fill the now-vacant role. While some have speculated that ousted Fox News host Maria Bartiromo may be tapped for the position, others, like MS NOW’s Alex Witt, wondered if Harp may end up being selected given her unusually close relationship with Trump.
“Do you see a world where Harp emerges with a larger role, maybe the next White House Press Secretary?” Witt asked Whipple on Saturday.
While stressing that it was “impossible” to know with certainty, Whipple said that not only was it "conceivable" that Harp could be awarded such a “promotion,” but that she essentially already acted as a “virtual staff secretary.”
“In a normal White House, a staff secretary tees up reliable information on every side of an issue for the president to make decisions — Natalie has usurped that role, in effect giving Trump sunny news and everything he wants to hear,” Whipple said. “So could she be a press secretary? Sure, it's possible.”
What might Harp being selected for the role of White House spokesperson even more likely, Whipple argued, was her strong influence over the president.
“What's clear is that she has a kind of magic with Trump, she has a hold over him that I think is comparable to [White House Chief of Staff] Susie Wiles' influence over Trump,” Whipple continued. “Trump trusts her just as he trusts Susie Wiles because she speaks his language and she's on his side unequivocally. That's the litmus test for people who have influence around Donald Trump.”
Whipple was the author of the bombshell profile on top officials of the second Trump administration, notably Wiles, who made a series of stunning remarks that appeared to disparage Vice President JD Vance and others.