Years before Natalie Harp became a close White House aide to US President Donald Trump, she posted more than 150 messages on Twitter on 6 January 2021, repeatedly expressing her support for him as a pro-Trump mob later stormed the US Capitol. A review by CNN of Harp’s now-removed X account, formerly Twitter, found that she urged Republicans to “FIGHT FOR TRUMP” as Trump began speaking to supporters near the White House.

She echoed his claims that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen and amplified statements by Trump allies who sought to challenge the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s victory.

Harp’s X account now appears to be suspended. Her posts were among a series of public expressions of loyalty to Trump from someone who would later become part of his White House team. “She has proven to be a totally loyal sycophantic adviser and staffer for him,” David B Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron who studies the presidency, told CNN.

“Trump likes that, he doesn’t like to be questioned. He likes to be revered, and she clearly does that,” he said.

Harp’s Posts on January 6

Harp was 29 at the time and was working as a host for One America News Network. Her Twitter biography described her as a member of a Trump “advisory board”.

As crowds gathered in Washington on 6 January, she shared comments from members of Trump’s family, including messages saying: “This movement will never, ever die!” and “This fight has only just begun.”

She described pro-Trump demonstrators as “patriots” and challenged lawmakers to show “a fraction of the courage & passion” displayed by the crowd. “today we STOP THE STEAL!” she wrote.

Harp also promoted a statement by Rudy Giuliani during his speech that said: “let’s have trial by combat!”

Lawyers for Giuliani later said the phrase was “hyperbolic” and was not a call for violence.

As Trump began addressing his supporters, Harp posted “FIGHT FOR TRUMP!” repeatedly in a single message and wrote: “Today D.C. is TRUMP COUNTRY!”

She also live-tweeted the speech, including the president’s statement: “We will never give up. We will never concede!”

After a pro-Trump mob entered the US Capitol, Harp shared messages claiming that those involved were “not Trump supporters”. She also circulated false claims that members of Antifa had infiltrated the crowd.

Later, she shared Trump’s calls for the rioters to go home.

Posts After the Capitol Attack

Hours after the attack forced Congress to suspend the counting of electoral votes, Harp again amplified comments from Giuliani. She quoted him as saying that the disruption had created “a few more options particularly with this delay” and that Trump’s legal team was considering “how we can take advantage of those options”.

Harp added an American flag emoji to the post.

After the House rejected an objection by Republican lawmakers to counting Arizona’s electoral votes, she wrote: “America may not be America anymore. But God’s still God. Don’t stop believing!!”

She also praised lawmakers who continued to challenge the election results. Harp thanked Representative Jody Hice for being “a man of his word and the Constitution”, praised Marjorie Taylor Greene for her “courage” and described Josh Hawley as “a true patriot” who “refuses to be intimidated out of his duty to the Constitution”.

She also called six Republican senators who voted to sustain objections — Ted Cruz, Hawley, Cindy Hyde-Smith, John Kennedy, Roger Marshall and Tommy Tuberville — “patriots” who “did not waver in the fight for our beloved country & @POTUS.”

The following day, after Trump publicly acknowledged that a new administration would take office, Harp shared his message that “our incredible journey is only just beginning”.

Fourteen minutes later, she added: “We love you, President @realDonaldTrump!”

CNN’s review found that Harp had repeatedly promoted Trump’s claims about the 2020 election in the weeks before the Capitol attack. “We will never give up – for TRUTH is on our side. January 6th is coming!!,” she wrote before the riot.

Days after the election results were announced, she posted: “WE LOVE YOU! WE LOVE YOU! WE LOVE YOU! x 71 million.”

On 14 December, she wrote: “THIS IS A COUP” after Biden’s victory was formally affirmed by the Electoral College.