'Proceed With Caution': Trump Aide Natalie Harp Warned Over Deeply Personal Secret Notes

Donald Trump's close aide Natalie Harp has been urged to 'proceed with caution' over her intensely personal relationship with the US president, after a new book claimed she leaves secret, emotional notes for him to find in private places.

The political reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan detailed Harp's role inside Trump's post-White House operation in their book Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.

Their account, which has since been chewed over on The Daily Beast podcast, sketches a relationship that stretches well beyond a conventional boss-assistant dynamic and has now drawn warnings from a relationship expert about blurred boundaries and power.

Donald Trump Book Claims Put Spotlight on Natalie Harp

Harp has for some time been regarded in Trumpworld as one of Trump's most devoted loyalists. Now serving as an executive assistant, she has been a regular presence at his side and, most recently, was seen walking just a few steps behind him in public, a small but telling detail for those who chart who has his ear on any given day.

In Regime Change, Haberman and Swan allege that Harp has developed a habit of placing handwritten notes where the 80-year-old president will stumble upon them when he is alone. One such message reportedly read: 'You are all that matters to me.' The authors write that these missives left White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles 'stunned,' underscoring that even senior insiders were jarred by the level of intimacy suggested.

Trump, according to the book, has reciprocated in his own way. He is said to have told others that, unlike some aides who have drifted away or broken with him, Harp 'will never leave me'. That line fits neatly into the mythology Trump cultivates about loyalty, but it also raises questions about how dependent he has become on her unwavering affirmation.

Nothing in the published material suggests the relationship is romantic, and there is no independent verification of the wording of the alleged notes beyond what is cited from Regime Change.

As with many accounts emerging from Trump's orbit, some of these details rest on anonymous sourcing and second-hand recollection rather than documentary evidence, so they should be treated with a measure of caution.

'Proceed With Caution' Warning Over Trump–Harp Dynamic

It is that unusual intensity, rather than any single message, that prompted relationship expert Jordan Schieber whether Harp's closeness to Trump mirrors patterns seen in other workplaces.

'It doesn't make it best practice, but it happens and to be fair, happy relationships have come out of the workplace,' Schieber said, offering a reminder that office romances and emotionally loaded alliances are not rare, even when frowned upon on paper.

But he quickly shifted to a warning tone. 'Proceed with caution,' he advised. 'Be cognisant of power imbalances and age differences, and be honest about how easily it slips into chaos, personal ruin and professional ruin.'

For Schieber, the concern is not just gossip about one high-profile boss and his aide. It is what happens when one person in a heavily imbalanced power structure becomes emotionally invested in another whose public identity is built on dominance. If that relationship sours, the fallout personally and professionally can be brutal.

'If you find yourself in this situation, ask what this person actually represents to you, and bring that to a third party who can help you make sense of it before you blow anything up,' he added. 'It comes down to self-awareness: understanding your needs, why you're doing what you're doing, and being realistic about the other person.'

In other words, amid the swirl of Trump's political return and legal troubles, Harp is being urged, however politely, to take a hard look at who holds the real leverage.

Loyalty, Flattery and Power Around Donald Trump

The book goes beyond handwritten notes. Haberman and Swan report that Trump has even turned to Harp to overrule Cabinet-level officials when their trade data or economic assessments do not align with his preferred narrative. If accurate, it suggests her influence is not confined to emotional support but bleeds into policy discussion, at least in the way it is packaged for him.

Those claims were picked up by The Daily Beast podcast, where host Joanna Coles and executive editor Hugh Dougherty unpacked the portrait of Harp as a kind of in-house praise curator. Dougherty said Harp was 'fueling his delusions', alleging she prints off glowing comments from 'random social media' and feeds them into Trump's information stream while staying with him 'round the clock'.

Trump's camp rejects any suggestion that this has slipped into something unhealthy or unprofessional.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Harp's reputation in unequivocal terms, writing: 'Natalie Harp is one of the most loyal and hardest working aides on President Trump's team.' That line will comfort Trump loyalists who see the book as just another attempt to sensationalise his inner circle.

For others, it may underline the very dynamic Schieber warns about: a system in which maximum loyalty to Trump is the core job requirement, and where the emotional cost to those who provide it is rarely part of the conversation.