Natalie Harp Appears to Screen Calls to Trump’s Cellphone
Journalists who called President Donald Trump’s personal cellphone in the days after the midterm elections found that a woman answered and asked who was calling before deciding whether to connect them. The change marks a departure from Trump’s usual practice of answering the phone himself and speaking with reporters, sometimes at short notice.
During a live election-night broadcast, Politico reporter Dasha Burns called Trump. A woman asked her name, then Trump came on the line and greeted her. The voice sounded like Harp’s, based on a comparison with audio from her 2020 Republican National Convention address.
Other journalists who have Trump’s number described similar screening. One veteran White House reporter said the woman connected him only after Trump heard his name and agreed to take the call. The screening appears to have become more common in the two days following the election.
Harp is Trump’s executive assistant and has been described as a close, loyal aide. Her influence around the president has also been associated with putting activist Laura Loomer in contact with him despite objections from senior staff, and with his September move to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The White House was contacted for comment.
Trump’s Open Phone Line Appears to Close After Midterm Losses
Trump’s reputation for answering his own phone and speaking with reporters is giving way to a gatekeeping system: journalists calling his personal number in the days after the midterms say a woman now asks who is calling before deciding whether to connect them.
The shift was visible during election-night coverage, when Politico reporter Dasha Burns called Trump on a livestream. A woman asked her identity, then Trump took the call. The voice sounded like that of his executive assistant, Natalie Harp, when compared with audio from Harp’s address to the 2020 Republican National Convention.
Other journalists described similar screening. One veteran White House reporter said he was connected only after Trump overheard his name and agreed to speak. The new practice appears to have become more common in the two days after the election, a sharp contrast with the administration’s portrayal of Trump as exceptionally accessible.
Harp is a close aide whose influence has reportedly extended to facilitating Laura Loomer’s access despite senior staff objections and helping prompt Trump’s September choice to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. A president’s direct contact with the press matters; filtering who reaches him risks replacing openness with protection from uncomfortable questions. The White House was contacted for comment.
Trump’s Call Screening Reflects a President’s Control of His Time
Journalists who dialed President Donald Trump’s personal cellphone in the days after the midterms encountered a new first step: a woman asked who was calling before putting them through. Trump still took at least some calls himself, including one from Politico’s Dasha Burns during election-night coverage.
The exchange was captured during Burns’ livestream. The woman asked her name, then Trump greeted Burns after coming on the line. The voice appeared similar to that of executive assistant Natalie Harp, when compared with audio from Harp’s address to the 2020 Republican National Convention. Other journalists reported comparable screening, and one said Trump overheard his name and chose to take the call.
The change appears to have become more common in the two days after the election. Trump has long been known for answering his own phone and speaking with reporters, and his administration has called him the most accessible president. But access does not require every call to bypass the president’s staff; screening allows him to choose which conversations to have.
Harp is a close aide who has also been linked to bringing activist Laura Loomer to Trump despite objections from senior staff and to his September move to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The White House was contacted for comment.
Reported by Raw Story, The Daily Beast, The New Republic.
