{"id":3052,"date":"2026-08-23T10:22:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T10:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=3052"},"modified":"2026-08-23T10:22:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T10:22:01","slug":"natalie-harp-is-the-high-priestess-of-the-cult-of-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=3052","title":{"rendered":"Natalie Harp Is the High Priestess of the Cult of Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><\/div><p><\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"\">\n<div id=\"article-title-block_b1aab7f8a143f0b86710ec2f39c49953\" class=\"article-title \">\n<div class=\"article-title__container\">\n<div class=\"article-title__eyebrow\">\n                            <span class=\"article-title__labels\"><br \/>\n                                        <span class=\"article-title__label\"><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/subject\/politics\/\">Politics<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                            <\/span><br \/>\n                                    <span class=\"article-title__label-divider\"> \/ <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                            <span class=\"article-title__date\">August 21, 2026<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>The controversial White House isn\u2019t the only Trump sycophant\u2014merely the most successful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad-block ad siderail-ad float-r-w-3 break-r-4\">\n<p>                                    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/advertising-policy\" class=\"ad-policy\" target=\"_blank\">Ad Policy<\/a><br \/>\n                                    <\/aside>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"907\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"Natalie Harp, executive assistant to President Donald Trump, listens to a reporter's question as Trump holds a bilateral meeting with President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House on July 21, 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-607530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287068848-793x500.jpg 793w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n<p> Natalie Harp, executive assistant to President Donald Trump, listens to a reporter\u2019s question as Trump holds a bilateral meeting with President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House on July 21, 2026.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"credits\">(Kevin Dietsch \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"is-style-dropcap\">I\u2019ll confess I was leery when Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff turned long-standing speculation about the relationship between Donald Trump and his 35-year-old aide Natalie Harp into a hot topic of national debate. It\u2019s long been known that Harp is obsessed with Trump to the point of creepiness, and that the president is all too happy to bask in the glow of her fawning gaze. Their bizarre bond, which seems to have unsettled many in the White House, was already documented in two books of access journalism: the recently released <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simonandschuster.com\/books\/Regime-Change\/Maggie-Haberman\/9781668067246\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Regime Change<\/em><\/a>, by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/750877\/all-or-nothing-by-michael-wolff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>All or Nothing<\/em><\/a><em>,<\/em> by Michael Wolff, which was published last year. But such books are for hardcore political junkies; they don\u2019t necessarily move political debate or even get noticed by the broader public.<\/p>\n<p>Ossoff, who nurses presidential ambitions and knows he can warm the hearts of Democratic voters by taking potshots at Trump, saw his opportunity amid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/08\/13\/politics\/iran-threat-turkey-plane\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fresh and hilarious reports<\/a> that, in early July, Trump, fearful of an Iranian attack on Air Force One, sneaked off in a catering truck and moved to another plane. When the president made this evasive maneuver, he reportedly had Harp by his side. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were left <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-secret-flight-turkey-pete-hegseth-marco-rubio-scott-bessent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">playing the unenviable role<\/a> of decoys on Air Force One, their only consolation being that the so-called Iranian threat was likely a fiction.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at a rally last Sunday, Ossoff <a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/214414\/white-house-ossoff-trump-relationship-aide-natalie-harp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">riffed on this story,<\/a> telling an appreciative crowd that Trump \u201cdoesn\u2019t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While I enjoy polemical attacks on Trump as much as anyone, I wasn\u2019t sure there was much mileage to be gained from trying to stoke another presidential sex scandal, which was what Ossoff seemed to be implying. The fact that Trump is a brutal sexual predator is not only well documented (serious allegations of assault against him have been <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/list-trumps-accusers-allegations-sexual-misconduct\/story?id=51956410\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">made by more than two dozen women<\/a>); it has also been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-65531098\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">established<\/a> in a court of law thanks to the brave testimony of E. Jean Carroll. Given Trump\u2019s lifetime of truly vile behavior, a consensual affair (if that is what is going on) seems like a minor sin.<\/p>\n<p>But my mistake was in thinking of the Trump\/Harp story as a sex scandal. Their relationship doesn\u2019t have to be sexual to be disturbing. Its true significance is that it proves just how deranged the cult of personality around Trump has become.<\/p>\n<p>Born in 1991, Harp is an evangelical Christian. She finished her undergraduate degree at Point Loma Nazarene University in 2012 before getting an MBA from Liberty University in 2015. But, as with many politicized Christians, Harp\u2019s focus of devotion has shifted to the unlikely person of Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<div id=\"current-issue-block_1577fb001f83719da638bff7eb9576ac\" class=\"current-issue  float-l-w-2\">\n<h4 class=\"current-issue__title\">\n                    Current Issue<br \/>\n            <\/h4>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/issue\/september-2026-issue\/\" class=\"current-issue__cover\"><br \/>\n        <img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" decoding=\"async\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/09-26-Cover-1.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"Cover of September 2026 Issue\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Earlier this year on Easter Sunday, the president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/religion\/doctored-jesus-an-ai-image-inviting-us-to-worship-trump\/106567080\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted an AI image<\/a> that seemed to show him as a Christ-like figure healing a sick man (who, bizarrely, resembled Jeffrey Epstein). The conflation of Christ with Trump might seem to many as either absurd or even blasphemous. But Harp believes that just as Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead, so she herself was given a new lease on life by Trump.<\/p>\n<p><em>The New York Times<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/18\/us\/politics\/natalie-harp-trump-devotion-white-house.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a> that Harp \u201chas said that she suffered from bone cancer and that it was legislation Mr. Trump signed in 2018 that provided her access to experimental treatments.\u201d This story carries an emotional punch, although, as <em>The Washington Post<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2020\/08\/25\/natalie-harp-bone-cancer-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> in 2020, when Harp told her tale to the Republican National Convention, experts doubted its veracity. The drugs she most likely received were already legal without any assistance from Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The factual veracity of Harp\u2019s claims is beside the point, since she\u2019s not interested in accurate reporting. Rather, Harp is a mythologist, creating lore to glorify the object of her worship, Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The intensity of Harp\u2019s devotion to Trump can\u2019t be gainsaid. Haberman and Swann describe her with Homeric epithets worthy of a priestess of Zeus: \u201cThe ever-present Natalie Harp\u201d and \u201cthe ubiquitous Natalie Harp, laptop at the ready.\u201d Trump, they write, was<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>accompanied on the golf course by Natalie Harp, an aide who supplied him with a fresh stream of positive news stories and social media comments that she would often read aloud and later follow up with copies from the portable printer she carried around. Harp wrote Trump adoring letters that she left in his personal spaces, including one that read \u201cYou are all that matters to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"cta-block_8fb19283c5ebf93bb709a3ed30a44019\" class=\"cta float-l-w-3\">\n<p>An endless fount of flattery and upbeat (if dubiously sourced) reports on Trump\u2019s achievements, Harp has worked hard to earn her place beside the president. Trump clearly enjoys her adulation. According to Haberman and Swann:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Harp\u2019s devotion to the President had remained undimmed through the hectic early months of the second term. Trump had taken to telling his staff that Natalie (or \u201cNathalie,\u201d as he would call her, using a French pronunciation) was the only one who loved him as much as his wife and kids. \u201cAll of you will go off and make money,\u201d he would say. \u201cShe\u2019ll never leave me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On Thursday, <em>The Daily Beast<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/natalie-harps-intimate-letters-to-trump-revealed-in-full\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">published two more letters<\/a> Harp had written to Trump, both full of effusive praise. On one she wrote, \u201cThank you for being my Guardian and Protector in this Life.\u201d In another letter, she echoed a line from Jane Austen and wrote, \u201cit is I who is unworthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<section aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad fullwidth-ad contained row position-relative ad-block alignfull \">\n    <!--Ad policy starts here--><br \/>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/advertising-policy\" class=\"mid-ad-policy\">Ad Policy<\/a><br \/>\n        <!--Ad policy ends here--><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"popular-block_4f2b4c8798f6d97257ad888590628563\" class=\"popular-articles\">\n<div class=\"swiper\">\n<p><h2>Popular<\/h2>\n<p>            <span class=\"swipe-msg\"><span class=\"sr-only\">\u201cswipe left below to view more authors\u201d<\/span>Swipe \u2192<\/span>\n        <\/p>\n<ol class=\"popular-articles__list\">\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Harp might be Trump\u2019s most assiduous devotee, but she is hardly alone. Trump\u2019s monumental narcissism has made self-abasement the surest path to his inner circle. This is a dangerous dynamic, since it means Trump is not listening to any critical voices that might warn him away from his capricious impulses.<\/p>\n<p>Harp\u2019s success in turning toadying into access also explains why she is now the topic of controversy: because the other courtiers and cronies in Trump\u2019s orbit are jealous. Tell-all accounts\u2014such as the ones written by Haberman and Swann or Wolff\u2014aren\u2019t coming from Democrats, who hardly have a chance to near Trump. They\u2019re coming from inside the White House, from people who object to Harp because they want to take her place. After all, the current scandal might lead to Harp\u2019s being exiled from Trump\u2019s A-list, but the president himself will remain a needy man-child. Which means the job of high priestess in the cult will have to be filled by another eager applicant.<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-end-\" class=\"article-end \">\n<div class=\"article-end__authors\">\n<div class=\"article-end__author\">\n<h5 class=\"article-end__author-name\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/jeet-heer\/\">Jeet Heer<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/h5>\n<p>                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HeerJeet\" class=\"article-end__author-twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"14\" viewbox=\"0 0 17 14\" fill=\"none\"><br \/>\n\t<default:path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M15.2054 3.54558C15.2122 3.6951 15.215 3.84463 15.215 3.99527C15.215 8.58792 11.7194 13.8834 5.32683 13.8834C3.36455 13.8834 1.53779 13.3083 0 12.3221C0.271606 12.354 0.548252 12.3702 0.828257 12.3702C2.45677 12.3702 3.95536 11.8147 5.14483 10.8829C3.62384 10.8543 2.34085 9.84963 1.89844 8.4692C2.11068 8.51008 2.32797 8.53136 2.55253 8.53136C2.87006 8.53136 3.17695 8.48936 3.46815 8.40984C1.87772 8.09008 0.680414 6.68501 0.680414 5.00273C0.680414 4.98705 0.680414 4.97305 0.680414 4.95793C1.14858 5.21833 1.68452 5.37514 2.25461 5.39362C1.32219 4.76921 0.708415 3.7063 0.708415 2.5006C0.708415 1.8633 0.879778 1.26633 1.17882 0.753361C2.89302 2.85621 5.45395 4.23887 8.34249 4.38392C8.28313 4.12967 8.25233 3.86423 8.25233 3.59206C8.25233 1.6729 9.80861 0.117188 11.7278 0.117188C12.7274 0.117188 13.6301 0.539436 14.2641 1.21425C15.0559 1.05913 15.8002 0.769041 16.4716 0.370873C16.2118 1.18289 15.6602 1.86386 14.9428 2.29395C15.6462 2.20939 16.3159 2.02235 16.9392 1.74626C16.4739 2.44292 15.8842 3.05557 15.2054 3.54558Z\" fill=\"#666666\"\/><br \/>\n<\/default:svg><br \/>\n                        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-end__author-bio\">\n<p>Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for <em>The Nation<\/em> and host of the weekly <em>Nation<\/em> podcast, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/time-of-monsters\/\"><em>The Time of Monsters<\/em><\/a>. He also pens the monthly column \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/morbid-symptoms\/\">Morbid Symptoms<\/a>.\u201d The author of <a href=\"https:\/\/chbooks.com\/Books\/I\/In-Love-with-Art\"><em>In Love with Art: Francoise Mouly\u2019s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(2013) and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/books\/sweet-lechery-reviews-essays-profiles\/9780889843783\"><em>Sweet Lechery: Reviews, Essays and Profiles<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(2014), Heer has written for numerous publications, including <em>The New Yorker<\/em>, <em>The Paris Review<\/em>, <em>Virginia Quarterly Review<\/em>, <em>The American Prospect<\/em>, <em>The Guardian<\/em>,\u00a0<em>The New Republic<\/em>,\u00a0and <em>The Boston Globe<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_incontent_2 --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<!-- Tag ID: thenation_registration_billboard --><\/p>\n<section class=\"collections collections--col-0\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h2 class=\"collections__title\">More from <span class=\"not-italic\">The Nation<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"collection__row\">\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/puppet-masters-will-be-unleashed-on-americans\/\" aria-label=\"Puppet Masters Will Be Unleashed on Americans\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet-793x500.jpg 793w\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/puppet.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"A puppet in the likeness of US President Donald Trump holding a sign reading \u201cThe Lying King\u201d is held up held up in front of the Colorado State Capital during the \u201cNo Kings\u201d national rally in Denver, Colorado.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>From Gaza to Minnesota, the Trump administration is accelerating a politics of fear and of intimidation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/sasha-abramsky\/\">Sasha Abramsky<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/trump-ballroom-environmental-threat\/\" aria-label=\"Trump\u2019s Ballroom Isn\u2019t Just a Farce Anymore\u2014It\u2019s a Threat\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848-793x500.jpg 793w\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2242325848.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s Ballroom Isn\u2019t Just a Farce Anymore\u2014It\u2019s a Threat\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>In this week\u2019s <em>Elie v. US<\/em>, our justice correspondent explains how the ballroom could gut key environmental protections. Plus, the heartbreak of Jason Arday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/elie-mystal\/\">Elie Mystal<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/voting-rights-american-democracy-dead\/\" aria-label=\"American Democracy Has Been Killed\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292-793x500.jpg 793w\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-642536292.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"Demonstrators, many with signs, protest outside the White House, Washington DC, March 12, 1965.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>The Supreme Court put the final nail in the coffin this summer. Now we have to raise democracy from the dead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/edward-h-williams\/\">Edward H. Williams<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/ice-raids-opposition\/\" aria-label=\"One of the Biggest Myths of the Trump Era Is Unraveling\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=75&resize=75&ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=100&resize=100&ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=150&resize=150&ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=240&resize=240&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=320&resize=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=500&resize=500&ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=640&resize=640&ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=800&resize=800&ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=1024&resize=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=1280&resize=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1&w=1600&resize=1600&ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637-793x500.jpg 793w\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2287296637.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"ICE agents walk outside the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura, California, on July 27, 2026.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>It turns out that people <em>don\u2019t<\/em> actually want a gestapo force rounding up immigrants all over America.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/chris-lehmann\/\">Chris Lehmann<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_btf_medrec --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpContentAuthor\" value=\"Jeet Heer\"\/><br \/>\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpTags\" value=\"executive-branch,government,politics,registration-wall,donald-trump\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script type=\"6458ce0b1a7ead64bc6ca239-text\/javascript\">\n\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n\t\t{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n\t\tif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n\t\tn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('init', '233793277040432');\n\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t\t\t\t<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Politics \/ August 21, 2026 The controversial White House isn\u2019t the only Trump sycophant\u2014merely the most successful. Ad Policy Natalie Harp, executive assistant to President Donald Trump, listens to a reporter\u2019s question as Trump holds a bilateral meeting with President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House on July 21,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[4980,4978,2966,4691,4979,289],"class_list":["post-3052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-cult","tag-harp","tag-high","tag-natalie","tag-priestess","tag-trump"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}