Eric Trump Rages at CNN Over Natalie Harp Motorcade Trunk Allegation Calling It 'Absolute Trash'

Eric Trump has launched a fiery defence of White House aide Natalie Harp after CNN reported an extraordinary claim that she once climbed into the boot of an SUV in Donald Trump's motorcade after being told there were no seats available. Calling the report 'absolute trash', the president's son pushed back against what he described as an unfair portrayal of the 35-year-old aide.

The controversy began after Erin Burnett's OutFront interviewed Harp's estranged brother, Preston, about the allegation. This put fresh scrutiny on the Trump aide's unusually close presence around the president and her role inside the White House.

Eric Trump Calls CNN Report 'Absolute Trash'

Reacting on social media, Eric Trump did not hold back, dismissing the CNN segment outright. 'What absolute trash,' he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 'Natalie is an incredible young woman, a cancer survivor, a genuinely good person, and arguably one of the hardest-working people in the White House. She's deeply committed to my father, to her job, and to this country.'

He added a pointed compliment about her family before taking aim at the broadcaster itself. 'From the looks of it, she got all the family genetics. @CNN continues to be a joke.'

What CNN's Interview Revealed About the October 2023 Incident

The controversy centres on an alleged incident from October 2023, when Donald Trump's motorcade prepared to leave Trump Tower ahead of a court appearance. According to two sources cited by Burnett, a heated dispute broke out over seating arrangements, leaving no space for Harp in the vehicles.

Harp reportedly insisted she needed to attend, telling others that Trump had personally asked her to be there. Sources told CNN that Harp then climbed into the boot of one of the motorcade's vehicles to make the journey to lower Manhattan.

Speaking to Burnett on Tuesday, 18 August, Preston Harp responded to the story with a mix of amusement and concern. 'That's really funny. I didn't know about that,' he said, before adding: 'It's actually kind of sad. That's obsession. That's like an unhealthy obsession with someone if you're going to jump into the trunk of their car.'

Preston Harp: 'She's Had an Obsession Since She Was 16'

Preston, whose full interview touched on his sister's history, told Burnett that the fixation was nothing new, tracing it back to Natalie's adolescence during the George W. Bush administration.

'I'd say since she was like 16, she's had an obsession with, gosh, how do I explain this?' he said in the same interview. 'She's written letters to other presidents, let me put it that way. And so her dream came true finally.'

Asked to elaborate on who else had received such letters, he said: 'I didn't see the letter, but George W. Bush obviously, during the Iraq War.'

'Adoring Letters' Claims and Melania's Reported Frustration

Prior to CNN's interview with Natalie's brother, Harp made headlines over personal letters to Trump described in the book Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. According to New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, who said they conducted around 1,000 interviews for the book, Harp left handwritten letters for the president.

In one letter, she reportedly wrote that Trump was 'all that matters' to her. 'You are all that matters to me ... I want to bring you joy,' she reportedly wrote in another.

The reported letters and Harp's close bond with Trump fuelled speculation that she and the president were having an affair. However, there has been no public confirmation of such a relationship.

Harp's proximity to Trump has also reportedly drawn attention inside the family, with Melania Trump said to be increasingly unhappy about the aide's near-constant presence around her husband. Neither the White House nor Harp has publicly addressed the letters or the trunk allegation in detail.