Key facts
- President Donald Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to White House aides Natalie Harp, Margo Martin, and Chamberlain Harris.
- The gifts were disclosed in annual executive branch disclosure forms as 'cash gift for the holidays'.
- Harp, Martin, and Harris each earn an annual salary of $150,000.
- The $45,000 gifts represent nearly one-third of their annual salaries.
- Walt Nauta, another aide, received a $20,000 holiday gift.
- A White House statement defended the gifts as a longstanding practice unrelated to official duties.
President Donald Trump provided substantial cash gifts totaling $155,000 to four White House aides, according to financial disclosure statements. Natalie Harp, Margo Martin, and Chamberlain Harris each received $45,000, while Walt Nauta received $20,000. These gifts were reported as holiday presents on annual executive branch disclosure forms.
Harp, Martin, and Harris each earn an annual salary of $150,000, making the $45,000 gifts equivalent to nearly one-third of their salaries. Nauta earns $175,000 annually. A White House official defended the practice, stating that the president has a longstanding tradition of giving holiday gifts to individuals in his orbit, including employees and aides, and that these gifts were not tied to official government duties.
However, ethics experts have raised concerns. Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer, suggested that such gifts could be considered income, which federal law prohibits for government employees. John Ronquillo, a public policy professor, also pointed to the significant amount of the gifts relative to salaries as a reason for scrutiny.
Natalie Harp, who has been a close aide to Trump since 2022, has recently been under increased scrutiny. She is known for her close proximity to the president and for frequently printing his social media posts for him. Walt Nauta, a longtime aide, was previously involved in a case concerning classified documents, though the charges against him were later dismissed.