Natalie Harp reportedly played a role in the latest ad praising Trump and his administration, which reportedly used millions in taxpayer funds.
The president’s 35-year-old executive assistant seems to wield an unexplainable power in his inner circle in recent months. Harp has quickly risen through the ranks to become Trump’s most-trusted aide at a critical point in his second term, and has become one of the most recognizable faces in his inner circle.
According to a report from the New York Times, Trump personally instructed his budget director to use taxpayer money to create TV ads praising him and his presidency, setting in motion a $20 million contract that used funds from the Department of Homeland Security.
The outlet spoke to insiders who claimed that, so far, at least four spots have run at a cost of about $5.5 million. The ad has sparked major backlash from democrats and questions about why taxpayer money was used and not funds from a super PAC.
The ad uses the song Love Me by artist JMSN, which features the repeated lyric, “Love me.” The artist’s attorneys sent a formal cease-and-desist letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, demanding that the administration immediately pull the ad due to the unauthorized use of his song.
Sources told the Times that the decision was made on Aug. 7, while Trump was strategizing in the Oval Office alongside a number of his top officials, including Harp.
The White House is currently airing this video as an ad during commercial breaks on Fox News. It looks and sounds like a political spot and includes a disclaimer stating that it is paid for by the U.S. government. The soundtrack: as images of Trump flash across the screen, singer @iamjmsn can be heard repeating, “Love me, love me,” over and over. The video combines Trump’s anti-communist message with rapid cuts of Trump, American flags, and military aircraft, alongside claims about tax cuts, manufacturing, and policing. It ends with the UFC’s Dana White saying: “He is the toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met, and nothing was going to stop him from fighting so hard for the country he loves.”
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) September 24, 2026
The president allegedly instructed Harp to show other members of the team videos of the type of imagery of himself that he prefers.
Harp then showed the group a series of videos made by the White House digital team on her tablet, the sources said. The videos included footage of Trump standing in front of massive crowds, Trump standing beside Marine One, and Trump with fighter jets overhead.
One such video shown by Harp was of UFC president Dana White calling Trump “the toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met,” the outlet reported.
Trump stressed to the group the importance of promoting himself and his presidency ahead of the midterms, and ahead of the campaign visits he would be making in the coming weeks, the Times wrote.
The ads have been vehemently defended by the Trump administration, insisting that they do not involve any call to action.
When questioned about them by a reporter this week, Trump responded, “If somebody said that that’s wrong, I’ll gladly pay the money.”
“But these are ads for the country,” he added. “You have to understand. I’m not promoting a candidate. I’m not promoting myself, because I’m not running for office. I’m promoting the country.”
When approached by the NYT for comment, the White House press office sent an unsigned statement, saying, “These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders and abroad.”
