White House Faces Scrutiny Over Natalie Harp’s Security Clearance After Senator Ossoff’s Critique

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) linked President Donald Trump’s focus on a new White House ballroom and a “defenseless flying palace” to aide Natalie Harp. The comment sparked a sharp response: White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a vulgar rebuke on X, spokesperson Davis Ingle called Ossoff a “cringeworthy, feminine theatre kid,” and Trump later referred to him as a “Pee-wee Herman” in an interview.

The Hill

Natalie Harp, a 35-year-old executive assistant, has traveled with Trump on golf trips, Marine One and Air Force One. After White House counsel intervened—and after Trump’s personal involvement—she completed a federal background investigation and received a security clearance. Her proximity to the president, including a secret aircraft swap in Turkey, raised questions about her access to classified material.

The Guardian

• Karoline Leavitt, departing White House press secretary, gave no comment on the clearance issue.

The Guardian

• Eric Trump defended Harb, calling Ossoff’s criticism “absolute trash.”

The Guardian

• Richard Painter, former chief ethics lawyer for George W. Bush, warned that Harp’s presence on Air Force One could expose classified conversations.

The Guardian

• Harp operated without clearance for roughly one year before the investigation concluded.

The Guardian

• The controversy emerged after Ossoff’s rally remarks referencing the president’s “ballroom” project and a new Air Force One jet reportedly gifted by the Emir of Qatar.

The Hill

Sources differ on when Harp’s clearance paperwork was filed—some say only after counsel raised the issue, others attribute it to Trump’s direct intervention. No precise date for the final clearance has been confirmed, leaving the length of the lapse uncertain.

The Guardian

• “While the sailors on the [USS Abraham] Lincoln fight his war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings. He golfs and trades stocks,” — Sen. Jon Ossoff

The Guardian

• “It is shocking that an aide who has potential exposure to the nation’s most sensitive secrets reportedly went without a security clearance for so long. Treating access to confidences as a casual job perk is an outrageous way to handle our national security.” — Norm Eisen

The Guardian

• “If this story is true, and the person closest to the @POTUS and his thinking on a daily basis has no security clearance and refuses to submit to the process of getting it, it’s a deadly serious issue.” — Richard Painter

The Guardian

These statements capture the dispute: a senator’s public criticism of the president’s priorities, the administration’s defensive rhetoric, and bipartisan concerns about an aide’s access to classified information without proper vetting.

The Guardian