US President Donald Trump gave three of his White House aides $45,000 each as holiday cash gifts in 2025, according to financial disclosure forms released by the administration.
The beneficiaries were executive assistant Natalie Harp, White House communications adviser Margo Martin and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris. Each of the three aides earns an annual salary of $150,000, meaning the cash gifts were equivalent to about 30 per cent of their yearly government pay.
The disclosures also showed that Walt Nauta, director of Oval Office operations and a longtime Trump aide, received a $20,000 holiday gift. Nauta earns an annual federal salary of $175,000.
The payments, which were described in the disclosures as “cash gift for holidays,” have raised questions among government ethics experts over whether federal employees can legally receive such substantial personal payments from the president while serving in government.
Reuters reported that federal employees are generally barred by law from receiving compensation in addition to their government salaries. Former government ethics officials have therefore questioned whether the payments could amount to prohibited supplemental compensation.
The White House, however, defended the gifts, saying Trump has a longstanding practice of giving Christmas presents to people in his orbit, including employees and aides, both during his time in government and in the private sector.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the gifts were personal and unrelated to the aides’ official duties, maintaining that they were permissible under federal ethics rules.
The disclosure of the payments has nevertheless drawn renewed attention to Trump’s close relationships with members of his White House team, particularly Harp, who is regarded as one of his most trusted aides and frequently accompanies him at public events.
The revelations come as the Trump administration faces continued scrutiny over the boundaries between the president’s personal relationships, government employment and federal ethics requirements.
