Key facts
- Donald Trump gifted $45,000 to White House aides Natalie Harp, Margo Martin, and Chamberlain Harris.
- Walt Nauta, director of Oval Office operations, received a $20,000 gift.
- The gifts were disclosed in the aides' annual financial disclosure forms.
- A White House official confirmed the gifts are a longstanding practice and legally permissible.
Donald Trump provided substantial holiday gifts to four White House aides, totaling $155,000, according to newly released financial disclosures. Executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin, and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris each received $45,000. Director of Oval Office operations Walt Nauta was given $20,000.
The gifts were documented in the staffers’ annual financial disclosure forms. Harp, Martin, and Harris each earn an annual salary of $150,000, while Nauta is paid $175,000 per year.
A White House official explained that Trump has a long-standing tradition of giving Christmas gifts to individuals in his circle, including employees and aides, both in government and his private sector career. The official emphasized that these cash gifts were unrelated to the recipients' official government duties and were therefore permissible under legal and ethical standards.
Natalie Harp is known for her close proximity to Trump, often carrying a portable printer to provide him with printed media coverage. Margo Martin has worked for Trump since his previous White House term and returned after his 2024 election victory. Chamberlain Harris was recently appointed by Trump to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.
Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira were previously charged in 2023 with conspiring to obstruct an investigation into classified documents Trump took after leaving office, but those charges were dismissed in 2024.