President Donald Trump distributed substantial holiday gifts to four White House staff members, as documented in financial disclosure forms released by the administration last week. Executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin, and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris each received $45,000, while director of Oval Office operations Walt Nauta received $20,000.
Harp, Martin, and Harris earn annual salaries of $150,000, while Nauta’s compensation is $175,000 per year. A White House official stated that Trump maintains a longstanding tradition of providing Christmas gifts to individuals within his inner circle, spanning both government positions and private sector roles. The official emphasized that these cash gifts were unrelated to the recipients’ official government responsibilities and therefore comply with applicable legal and ethical regulations.
The official did not confirm whether additional staff members received comparable gifts from the president. Harp maintains a prominent position in Trump’s immediate vicinity and is known for carrying a portable printer to produce printed copies of favorable media coverage and social media posts, as the president prefers reviewing significant information on paper. Martin has served Trump since his initial presidential term, initially joining as a White House press assistant before relocating to Florida to manage his media operations after the 2020 election, and subsequently returning to the White House following Trump’s 2024 victory.
Harris was appointed earlier this year to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which oversees the president’s White House ballroom project. Nauta previously worked as Trump’s valet and was implicated in legal proceedings from 2023 related to alleged obstruction of an FBI investigation concerning classified documents, though those charges were dismissed in 2024.
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