Harp has attracted scrutiny over her closeness to Trump – and now an author has hinted at “tensions” between Melania and what he describes as Trump’s “other wives”
Natalie Harp’s alleged rivalry with Melania Trump has been thrust into the spotlight, with an author claiming the aide pushed for “getting rid” of the White House’s East Wing. Harp has attracted media scrutiny in recent weeks over her alleged closeness to the POTUS, having gained a reputation for being “ever-present” in his orbit and earning the nickname Trump’s “human printer”.
New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan allege in their book Regime Change that the aide left personal messages for Trump, including one purportedly saying: “You are all that matters to me.” Author Michael Wolff and journalist Joanna Coles recently sat down for a chat about Harp and the various female aides surrounding the president, whom Joanna described as “mini-Melanias.” It comes after Harp reportedly “went crazy” aboard Air Force One after being separated from the president.
It included his first-term White House communications director Hope Hicks. In a recent piece for his Substack, HOWL, Michael claimed that Hicks “looked like Melania”. And with the introduction of Hicks, “began a pattern of Trump’s female aides” being “confused with Melania” by the press.
Michael also hinted in The Daily Beast‘s Inside Trump’s Head that there were “tensions” between Melania and Trump’s “other wives”, as he describes them in his article, and “human printer” Harp “specifically”.
Joanna suggested that it’s “really Natalie versus Melania”. Michael replied: “Yes, and even people within the White House say that Natalie was one of the people who argued for the ballroom and getting rid of the East Wing.”
After Joanna expressed her astonishment about this claim, he alleged: “And people see this around Trump that she is working. She has worked to put herself into the position that she is the woman closest to Donald Trump.”
The Office of the First Lady was traditionally based in the White House’s East Wing, but it was demolished for Trump’s reported $400m ballroom project, with a former staffer claiming the office is now “virtually non-existent”.
Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as White House communications director, previously told The Daily Beast: “Let’s say the First Lady’s office, her office, is virtually non-existent. It’s not staffed, and she’s not working on projects like she was in the first term. And, you know, and I think people understood that going in.”
Melania has reportedly been somewhat absent from political life in recent months, making limited public appearances and seemingly focusing on other projects, such as her 2026 documentary film, Melania.
Anthony also claimed that Donald and Melania had grown “distant”. Asked what he thought their relationship was truly like, he said: “I think it’s distant, you know, and I think it’s distant for a number of different reasons. But I think they probably have grown apart.
“And I think her attitude is she’s not going to embarrass him. He’s the president of the United States, and she will serve as First Lady. But I think it’s pretty clear that they’re not living together.
“And I think it was probably pretty clear to the journalists in Trump one that they weren’t living together. But that doesn’t mean that she’s not going to show up and be friendly, and she’s not going to do certain things.”