Newly surfaced photographs appear to show Donald Trump aide Natalie Harp running to catch up with the president’s golf cart during a 2023 visit to his Turnberry golf course in Scotland. The images, published by The Mirror, were taken on 2 May 2023, less than a year after Trump announced his bid to return to the White House.

They show a group of golf carts travelling uphill near the course’s “Halfway House”. In one photograph, Harp, then 31, appears to be running uphill behind the group. Another photograph appears to show her standing alongside Trump and his son Eric Trump on a green overlooking the sea.

The images have emerged as Harp, now 35 and an executive assistant to the president, faces growing scrutiny over her close relationship with Trump and her influence within his inner circle.

The White House has defended her, describing her as a loyal and trusted member of the administration.

The photographs emerged shortly after The Daily Beast published a letter Harp wrote to Trump in 2023, apparently about the Turnberry trip. “I also am sorry if I was an embarrassment walking the course in Scotland,” she wrote. “The first day I was told there were no carts, and people walked, which is why I walked.”

“If there is anything else I have done to cause you trouble, please forgive me,” she added. “I want things to always be right between us…You are all that matters to me. I don’t want to ever let you down. Thank you for being my Guardian and Protector in this Life…”

She signed off: “With all my heart, Natalie.”

Harp, a former television presenter and bone cancer survivor, joined Trump’s team in 2022.

She is reportedly a near-constant presence around the president. Her responsibilities have reportedly included managing his Truth Social account and providing him with positive news stories.

She has also reportedly acted as a conduit for information outside official channels and has been dubbed the “human printer”.

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman has described Harp as Trump’s “binkie” and “comfort blanket”. Her estranged brother has described her relationship with the president as “very unhealthy”.

The White House has rejected criticism of Harp. “No president has cultivated as much loyalty among their staffers and administration officials as President Trump; this is a testament to his commitment to our country and its people,” a White House spokesperson previously told The Independent. “Natalie Harp is a beloved White House Official, and the Fake News Media will never understand what it’s like to be as trusted and admired as her.”