WASHINGTON, United States — President Donald Trump took his executive assistant, Natalie Harp, aboard Marine One on Monday, September 21, 2026, for its first departure from a newly constructed White House helipad, hours after major television networks suspended their shared coverage of his activities.
Harp, 35, joined the president for the inaugural flight from the South Lawn alongside White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and communications adviser Margo Martin.
The helicopter carried the presidential party to Joint Base Andrews, where Trump boarded Air Force One for New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.
The event came amid a dispute between the administration and three news organisations barred from covering the White House.
Harp Joins Trump for Inaugural Helicopter Flight
Trump formally opened the new helipad during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the White House South Lawn before boarding Marine One.
The president used oversized gold scissors to cut a red, white, and blue ribbon, then proceeded towards the helicopter.
Harp boarded through the aircraft’s rear entrance shortly afterwards, according to The Daily Beast.
The flight marked the first operational use of the new granite helipad, which was constructed to accommodate the presidential helicopter on the White House grounds.
Harp, who serves as Trump’s executive assistant, regularly accompanies the president on official travel. She also joined him during his recent visit to Camp David.
Her responsibilities include providing the president with printed news reports and other materials.
Press Ban Disrupts Helipad Ceremony
The inauguration took place without the usual shared television coverage after ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC declined to provide a replacement crew for CNN, which had been barred from fulfilling its scheduled White House pool assignment.
The five networks announced the suspension in response to Trump’s decision to exclude CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.
The administration instead broadcast the helipad ceremony through its own video feed.
Trump’s remarks during the ribbon-cutting were largely inaudible in the livestream because of the noise from the helicopter.
The television networks said their decision to suspend shared presidential coverage followed the White House’s refusal to allow CNN to carry out its assigned duties.
Harp’s Role in White House Media Dispute
Harp’s involvement in the administration’s handling of critical news coverage has also attracted attention following Trump’s decision to bar the three organisations.
According to The Daily Beast, sources familiar with the matter said Harp had shown Trump television clips featuring criticism of his administration shortly before he announced the restrictions.
The president announced the ban on Truth Social on Friday, accusing CNN, MS NOW, and Politico of publishing false reports.
The three organisations subsequently filed a federal lawsuit seeking restoration of their journalists’ access, alleging violations of constitutional protections for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and due process.
Trump has defended the restrictions, maintaining that his administration is acting against false reporting rather than press freedom.
The lawsuit was filed on the same day Harp accompanied the president aboard Marine One for the first flight from the new White House helipad.
