President Donald Trump gave sizable holiday gifts to four White House aides, according to new financial disclosures released by the administration.
Ms. Harp, Ms. Martin and Ms.
The gifts of $45,000 each to Executive Assistant Natalie Harp, Communications Adviser Margo Martin, and Deputy Director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris as well as a $20,000 gift for director of Oval Office operations Walt Nauta were noted in the staffers’ annual financial disclosure forms that were published by the administration last week. Harris make $150,000 annually and Mr. Nauta is paid $175,000 a year, according to the White House’s salary disclosure report to Congress.
Trump “has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit, including at times employees and aides, both in government and in his time in the private sector. Ms. Harp is a constant presence by Mr. Trump’s side and is known for carrying a portable printer with her so she can print out favourable media coverage and social media posts for the President, who prefers reading important information on paper rather than on a screen. Ms. Martin has been working for Mr. Trump since his first go-around in the White House. She returned to the White House with Mr. Trump appointed Harris to serve on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which has oversight over the President’s White House ballroom project.
The disclosures of the gifts were first reported earlier on Tuesday (September 7, 2026) by The Washington Post. She started in the first term as a White House press assistant and followed the President to Palm Beach, Florida, to help run his media operations after he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump after his 2024 victory. Earlier reporting noted: Trump gave Natalie Harp, Chamberlain Harris and Margo Martin $45,000 holiday gifts: White House explains why The White House has defended President Donald Trump’s decision to give three senior aides $45,000 each as holiday gifts, saying the payments were personal and unrelated to their official government duties. Earlier reporting noted: The three payments totaled $135,000 and came on top of each aide’s $150,000 annual taxpayer-funded salary, according to publicly disclosed White House documents.
The official did not say if any other staffers were given similar gifts from the President, but added that the cash gifts were not related to the “individuals’ official government duties, and therefore are entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards. The gifts at issue here have nothing to do with any of these individuals’ official government duties, and, therefore, are entirely permissible under relevant legal and ethical standards.”
A White House official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Mr.
Earlier this year, Mr. Earlier reporting noted: “The President has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit, including at times employees and aides, both in government and in his time in the private sector.
