President Donald Trump was accompanied by personal aide Natalie Harp after he sneaked off Air Force One to travel in a decoy jet amid a credible assassination threat from Iran
President Donald Trump ensured that his trusted personal aide, Natalie Harp, was safely by his side when he covertly switched from Air Force One to a decoy aircraft.
Harp, who reportedly carries out a host of unusual late-night tasks for Trump, was among those secretly chosen to join him on a military flight back from the NATO summit in Turkey. The group hid in a catering lorry to evade the press and other members of the president’s entourage aboard the plane.
The separate flight was due to what the administration referred to as a credible assassination threat from Iran. According to The Washington Post, Dan Scavino, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, and Director of Oval Office Operations Walt Nauta, accompanied Harp and the president. A handful of less high-profile aides were also present, but other officials, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were left behind on the jet gifted to Trump by the Qatari Royal Family.
This comes amid reports that Trump’s marriage to Melania is at its “lowest point” for a troubling reason, reports the Irish Star.
Those inside the food lorry were reportedly transferred from the traditional Air Force One to a smaller Air Force C-32A before the aircraft departed for the U.K., separate from the White House Press Corps and other officials.
Harp’s presence, alongside those of Scavino and Nauta, cast fresh light on the July 8 operation, which sparked demands from Democrats for a briefing on the incident. Reports suggested that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth climbed aboard the aircraft with a confidence that appeared to signal he was the most senior official on the plane.
It’s worth noting that those who secured a place on the secure aircraft were the individuals who remained loyal to the president after he departed the White House and didn’t distance themselves following the two impeachments, continuing to work with him at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Other officials, including Scott Bessent, Stephen Miller and Rubio, were left behind.
Speaking publicly about the incident for the first time, Trump disclosed that it was the Secret Service’s suggestion to change aircraft. “It’s really just up to Secret Service. I just follow what they like to do,” the president told members of the press on Tuesday.
“They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety. … I do what they say,” he added. According to The Post, it remains unclear which officials knew that they were being moved to a new plane.
While speaking with reporters, Trump claimed: “The plane that I was on was at greater risk.”
He added, “Because that would be the plane that I think that they would be more likely to go for.”
The White House did not, according to The Post, provide a list of people who would be on the flight, which is standard practice. The Post reported that alongside Miller, Rubio, and Bessent, Communications Director Steven Cheung, deputy national security adviser Michael Needham and staff secretary Will Scharf were also aboard the aircraft.
Multiple journalists recalled being instructed to keep their windows shut for the entire duration of the flight from Turkey. When asked why this was necessary, Trump replied, “Because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with.”