Trump gives four White House aides $155,000 in cash gifts
New financial disclosures from the Trump administration show that US President Donald Trump gave a total of $155,000 in cash gifts to four members of his White House team.
Executive assistant Natalie Harp, communications adviser Margo Martin and White House operations deputy Chamberlain Harris each received $45,000, while White House operations director Walt Nauta was given $20,000.
A White House official said the payments were part of Trump's long-standing practice of giving Christmas gifts to people close to him, including employees and associates in both government and the private sector. According to the official, the gifts were personal rather than connected to the recipients' government responsibilities and therefore did not violate applicable ethics or legal rules.
The disclosures have drawn attention because of the size of the payments and the recipients' close proximity to the president. Harp is frequently seen accompanying Trump and is known for carrying a portable printer that allows her to print favorable media coverage and social media posts for the president, who has often shown a preference for reading documents on paper rather than on screens.
Martin has worked with Trump since his first presidential term and remained part of his inner circle after he left Washington following the 2020 election. She later returned to the White House after Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election.
Harris was appointed to the US Commission of Fine Arts, while Nauta, a longtime Trump aide, previously faced charges related to alleged obstruction of a federal investigation into classified documents. Those charges were dismissed in 2024.
The disclosures provide a glimpse into Trump's personal relationships with members of his administration and the financial benefits he has provided to some of his closest aides. While the White House maintains that the payments were private gifts, their disclosure has renewed interest in the ethical rules governing gifts received by government officials and their staff.
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