How Natalie Harp Became Ubiquitous When Melania Vanished

Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images Donald Trump has been with his 35-year-old blonde aide at least 18 days in the last month—a period in which First Lady Melania Trump has not been photographed with the president once.

A Daily Beast analysis found that Natalie Harp, a former right-wing TV host who now makes $150,000 annually as the president’s executive assistant, has been with Trump for at least 56 percent of the days since Melania last appeared publicly with him.

Trump, 80, and Melania, 56, were last seen together at the World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19.

The first lady has not been photographed since, over a month later.

Melania’s office did not respond to an email seeking comment, but insists that the first lady will get back to work on Thursday during a Rose Garden event to launch a “groundbreaking alliance” with her “Fostering the Future” initiative.

The White House also did not respond to an email from the Daily Beast.

Trump’s relationship with Harp, who is 45 years his junior, has apparently been stirring up drama behind the scenes at the White House.

Harp, who provides the president with a steady flow of social media content outside the usual chain of command, has come into the spotlight amid White House leaks about her obsessive behavior toward Trump, including alleged love letters in which she declared that he is “all that matters to me.” Harp was also among the select few people in Trump’s inner circle who traveled with him on a “decoy plane” when there was a credible threat against Air Force One on July 8 in Turkey.

Other top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, flew on the plane the Secret Service deemed unsafe for the president to ride.

More recently, during the period in which Melania has been out of public view, Harp was confirmed to be with the president on July 19, 21, 24, 27, 28, 29, 31, as well as on Aug.

4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, and 16, according to a Daily Beast review.

That includes Harp traveling with Trump to the White House in close proximity to him on Marine One upon returning from the World Cup final last month, and her returning to the Oval Office on Sunday after a weekend trip to the president’s Bedminster golf club.

Harp was also spotted leaving the White House with Trump en route to Lindsey Graham’s funeral on July 28, which Melania skipped amid other high-profile absences this summer.

Harp also attended the dignified transfer of U.S. soldiers killed by Iran on July 22, which Melania did not attend.