Trump's Phone Calls Screened by Aide
Natalie Harp, President Trump's executive assistant, answered calls to his personal phone as midterm results came in.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Do you trust the federal government to work effectively over the next two years?
Reporters from Politico, NewsNation and The Independent said a woman answered calls to President Donald Trump's personal phone on election night, identified by The Independent as his executive assistant, Natalie Harp. The calls came as Democrats won control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections.
Why it matters
Trump had previously taken calls from numerous reporters as results came in, so the screening marks a change in how press contact reached him during a major election. The shift matters for how the presidency handles media access at a moment when the balance of power in Congress is changing.
Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterms, per the reporting. Multiple reporters describe a woman answering Trump's personal phone rather than Trump himself, but no official statement on the arrangement has been reported.
The players
Donald Trump
The 47th President of the United States, whose personal phone calls were reportedly screened during the midterm election coverage.
Natalie Harp
Trump's executive assistant, identified by The Independent as the woman who answered calls to his personal phone.
Politico
A Washington-based political news outlet whose reporter Dasha Burns called Trump during live election coverage.
The details
Politico reporter Dasha Burns cold-called Trump during the outlet's live election coverage, and a woman answered and asked who was calling before Trump came on the line. NewsNation's Kellie Meyer reported a similar experience when calling on Monday, noting that Trump had previously answered his own calls.
Timeline
Monday: NewsNation reporter Kellie Meyer calls Trump and a woman answers.
Tuesday night: Calls to Trump's personal phone are screened by Natalie Harp.
Wednesday morning: Meyer posts about being greeted by a woman when calling Trump.
Need to Know
Reporters say Trump previously answered his own calls from the press, so the screening of calls during the midterm results represents a departure from that pattern. The change follows Democrats' takeover of the House and Senate, which reporting says will make it harder for Trump to enact his agenda.
Democrats' control of the House and Senate means legislation and oversight will now move through a Congress that differs from the one Trump has worked with. Reporters' experience with call screening may also affect how quickly members of the press can reach the president.
The takeaway
The midterm results shifted the balance of power in Congress, and how the White House manages press access during such transitions can shape public understanding of those changes.
Further reading
Explore more in Elections coverage for the wider context of the midterm results.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mediaite.
Live Poll
Do you trust the federal government to work effectively over the next two years?
