Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed mocks Trump’s close ties to aide Natalie Harp
Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed ridiculed President Donald Trump’s relationship with his senior aide Natalie Harp after Trump attacked him on social media.
Abdul El-Sayed, a rising Democratic figure campaigning for a Senate seat in Michigan, took aim at President Donald Trump after the president posted a harsh remark about him. El-Sayed replied on X, joking that Trump seemed to have overused his iPad and needed rest. The focus of the dispute is Natalie Harp, Trump’s 35-year-old executive assistant who draws a $150,000 salary and is often described as a “human printer” for handling his documents and social media drafts.
Letters released by one outlet indicate that Harp’s communications with Trump go beyond a standard boss-subordinate dynamic, and she has been seen traveling and photographing alongside him. Harp, a former One America News host, left the network in 2022 to join Trump’s team and was among a few aides who left Air Force One during a security incident in Ankara, Turkey. The White House and El-Sayed’s campaign have not responded to requests for comment.
Why it matters
The exchange spotlights concerns about the president’s reliance on a close aide and its political ramifications.
How this story developed
- Aug 12 Scott Jennings Emerges as Leading Candidate to Succeed Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary
- Aug 18 White House officials issued a rebuke following Ossoff’s rally comments about Natalie Harp.
- Aug 18 White House officials used profanity‑laden insults toward Ossoff in their rebuttal.
- Aug 18 President Trump publicly dismissed allegations of a mental‑health crisis and poor conditions aboard the carrier.
- Aug 18 Leavitt announced her resignation effective at month’s end.
- Aug 18 It was disclosed that Harp is a bone‑cancer survivor who attributes her recovery to the 2018 Right‑to‑Try Act.
- Aug 18 Megyn Kelly condemned Senator Jon Ossoff’s remarks about President Trump’s close aide Natalie Harp, calling the attack on the 35-year-old cancer survivor despicable.
- Aug 19 Scott Jennings reacted angrily on his broadcast after Ossoff mentioned Harp.
- Aug 19 Former Obama adviser David Axelrod argued that Senator Jon Ossoff’s mention of Natalie Harp in a recent speech was unnecessary and took focus away from his broader attack on Donald Trump.
- Aug 20 Trump ordered an internal inquiry after private letters with Harp were leaked.
- Aug 20 Ossoff’s Atlanta rally comment about Harp provoked a profane tweet from White House communications director Steven Cheung and condemnations from several conservative figures.
- Aug 20 Ossoff doubled down on his remarks at the rally, further emphasizing the innuendo about Harp.
- Aug 22 Leavitt announced she will join MAGA Inc. after leaving the White House.
- Aug 22 David Axelrod publicly rebuked Ossoff’s reference to Natalie Harw as unnecessary.
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