Vanity Fair Writer Disputes Aide Natalie Harp's Role in Cover Story

Journalist Chris Whipple stated that Natalie Harp was never considered for inclusion in Vanity Fair's December 2025 White House cover story, dismissing rumors of her self-recusal as ridiculous.

Whipple told MS NOW's Alex Witt on Saturday that no one at Vanity Fair considered including Harp in the photo session, nor did anyone at the White House, to his knowledge. He added that Harp's name never came up in his 11 months of meetings with White House officials leading up to the story. Whipple described Harp's relationship with President Donald Trump as extraordinarily unique and raised concerns about a fan-girl having the president's ear.

Harp, a 35-year-old aide, has faced increased scrutiny following Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff's remarks at a re-election rally and the publication of her letters to Trump. Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate, also criticized Trump's relationship with Harp, suggesting the president needs his rest. CNN reported that Harp posted more than 150 since-deleted social media messages supporting Trump on January 6, 2021.

The metadata of a 14-page memo Trump sent to the January 6 committee in October 2022 indicates Harp authored the document, a finding verified by The Daily Beast. Harp, who earns a $150,000 taxpayer-funded salary, previously worked as a host for One America News.