President Donald Trump gives cash gifts to White House aides, including executive assistant Natalie Harp, according to newly released financial disclosures. Multiple outlets report that the gifts are labeled “Cash Gift for Holidays” and total $135,000 for three recipients, with Harp receiving $45,000. Other disclosures also describe an additional lump-sum gift to a fourth aide, bringing the reported overall total to $155,000 in some accounts.
The disclosures place the payments alongside the aides’ existing six-figure salaries, raising ethics questions. Outlets note federal rules that generally restrict federal employees from receiving compensation beyond their government pay, which some critics argue these holiday cash gifts may conflict with. A White House official is quoted as saying Trump has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit and that the payments are not tied to official duties, so they are permissible under applicable ethical standards.
Coverage differs mainly in how it frames the controversy. Several outlets focus on the amounts and the disclosures’ wording, while others emphasize broader context around Harp’s close relationship with the president and heightened public scrutiny. Reporting also identifies additional recipients besides Harp, including communications adviser Margo Martin and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris, and separately references a $20,000 gift to Walt Nauta.
