The late father of top Trump aide Natalie Harp was no supporter of the president, even as his wife and daughter became loyal followers, Harp’s estranged brother told The Washington Post.
Preston Harp, 38, told the Post’s Terrence McCoy that their father, Bob Harp, “was not a fan” of Trump. He said Bob, a business professor at the Christian Biola University, found Trump’s claims of Christianity to be a “joke.”
According to Preston, the siblings’ mother, Jill, homeschooled them “in the hopes of indoctrinating us with conservative Christian and patriotic values.” Preston said he broke away as a teenager after a debate-club lecturer recommended Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States,” which he read by flashlight so his mother wouldn’t catch him. Natalie, by contrast, never rebelled against their “cloistered upbringing,” he said.
During weekly conversations, Preston said, his father often spoke of the strain at home as Jill and Natalie grew more supportive of Trump and his America First movement.
Natalie’s rise in MAGA politics began in 2019, when she wrote a LinkedIn post crediting Trump with saving her life after her bone cancer treatment. That led to a “Fox & Friends” interview and an appearance beside Trump at a Faith & Freedom Coalition conference. She spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, worked as an anchor at One America News and now serves as one of Trump’s top aides.
Bob Harp died by suicide in July 2020 at age 61. Preston said the family split apart in the aftermath, and the siblings have not spoken since.
“In Trump, Preston said, Natalie found a new father figure,” the Post reported.
Natalie and Jill Harp didn’t respond to the Post’s requests for comment. The White House didn’t contest Preston’s account but didn’t make Natalie available or provide a statement.
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