David Axelrod, a former adviser in the Obama administration, has raised concerns regarding Natalie Harp, an aide to former President Donald Trump, who reportedly worked at the White House without a security clearance for over a year. Axelrod expressed his worries in a post on X, stating that if the claims are accurate, it poses a serious issue given Harp's close proximity to Trump.
According to a report from MS NOW, Harp declined to seek the necessary security clearance multiple times for reasons that remain unclear. As concerns grew within the White House counsel's office and among security officials, Trump reportedly intervened, and Harp has since completed the necessary paperwork to obtain her clearance.
A senior White House official indicated that Harp was granted extensions to finalize her security clearance process. During this time, there were attempts to limit her access to Trump, which were not successful.
In response to the situation, outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Harp, stating that she has a security clearance and is a dedicated member of Trump's team. Harp, known for her work with the right-wing news network One America News, has been described as closely following Trump and fulfilling various requests.
The issue gained additional attention when Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff referenced Harp during a campaign rally, prompting further commentary from Axelrod, who criticized the inclusion of her name in Ossoff's remarks as unnecessary.