White House insiders say President Donald Trump's widely criticized decision to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House points to the rising influence of two of his most polarizing close aides – Natalie Harp and Bill Pulte.
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decision → say → aides
Some fear the president is especially vulnerable to impulsive moves when the two devotees, both in their mid-30s, are in his ear.
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devotees → fear → ear
Harp, 35, carries ultimate proximity to Trump and is often the one who publishes his fiery social media posts after he dictates them.
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he → carry → them
As Federal Housing Finance Agency Director, Pulte, 38, has been invited at least four times on Air Force One since August, a level of access few in Trump's Cabinet have achieved.
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few → invite → Cabinet
He has even earned the nickname 'Little Trump' among some in Washington.
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He → earn → Washington
'Pulte is the worst,' a source said.
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source → say → ?
'I haven't determined if he is a fool or if he is nefarious.'
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he → determine → ?
Another Trump source told the Daily Mail the president has long considered booting select press outlets from the White House.
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president → tell → House
You can't change his mind on this stuff,' the source said.
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source → change → stuff
The ban, announced in a blistering Truth Social post last Friday, caught even Trump's own staff by surprise and forced last-minute changes to logistics for his United Nations General Assembly trip in New York.
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ban → announce → York
White House insiders have expressed concern over the growing influence of Trump's aides
Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte and White House aide Natalie Harp have been by the president's side just before his most inflammatory social media posts
Insiders told the Daily Mail they doubt Trump's ban would have happened if outgoing Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (above) were still working in the West Wing
It has prompted lawsuits from the three outlets and left the presidential TV pool dark for much of Trump's UN appearance.
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It → grow → appearance
A judge scrambled to intervene overnight Wednesday to temporarily lift Trump's ban.
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judge → scramble → ban
Just before the ban announcement, sources say Harp showed the president a slate of coverage that was critical of him and his administration.
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that → say → him
The clippings sent him into a rage that produced the crackdown, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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that → send → Journal
Pulte was not at the White House on Friday, a White House official confirmed.
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official → confirm → Friday
In the past, advisers would push back against the idea of banning media outlets as undemocratic, a source close to the White House told the Daily Mail.
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source → push → Mail
Many of Trump's aides are said to be delighted.
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Many → say → aides
The controversial ban is only the latest sign of how far Harp and Pulte's access now reaches.
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access → reach → ?
Harp's standing was cemented this summer, when she was one of the few aides evacuated with Trump from Air Force One in Turkey inside a catering truck amid an alleged Iranian missile threat.
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she → cement → threat
Pulte has been known to travel to the president's golf courses and pitch him policy ideas on weekends, often carrying a poster board to hammer his points home.
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Pulte → know → points
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was away on Friday as Trump announced his press ban
Trump's aide Harp has drawn scrutiny from the press over her fawning over the president in the past
One source said they are unsure if Trump aide Pulte, 38, is 'a fool or if he is nefarious'
'
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he → announce → past
Bill Pulte is a member of Trump Clubs,' a White House official remarked.
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official → remark → Clubs
'Of course he takes advantage of the tremendous membership and the President's incredible properties.'
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he → take → membership
In one instance that angered Trump's advisers, Pulte convinced the president to announce an ill-fated 50-year mortgage after showing him a printout of the plan.
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Pulte → anger → plan
Last week, he was photographed deplaning with poster boards; photos through an Air Force One window showed Trump reviewing one that appeared to read 'Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.'
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that → photograph → Center
Hours before Trump announced the press ban Friday, Pulte appeared live on Steve Bannon's War Room.
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Pulte → announce → Room
'All these haters agree with one thing: Bill Pulte has one of the biggest jobs in the administration,' Bannon said.
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Bannon → agree → administration
Pulte told Bannon: 'You know me, we're being very aggressive, we're being very effective, we get s**t done.'
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s**t → tell → me
Harp, who has publicly credited Trump for saving her life after a cancer diagnosis due to his Right to Try law, sits immediately outside the Oval Office and travels with him almost everywhere.
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who → credit → him
Staff calls her the 'human printer' for handing him printed favorable clips, polls and memes.
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Staff → call → clips
Her importance among White House staffers was on full display after she was identified as one of the few aides evacuated with Trump from Turkey in a catering-truck container during an alleged Iranian threat this summer.
She accompanied him to Ireland last weekend and was with him at his Virginia golf club on Sunday, alongside another Trump aide who has concerned White House staff.
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who → identify → staff
Pulte was spotted debarking Air Force One last week holding a poster board
Trump reviews a printed out poster board reading 'Kennedy Center DEMOLITION' given to him by Pulte last week
'
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Trump → spot → Pulte
Every member of this team is valued.
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member → value → team
Director Pulte, Ms. Harp, and the rest of the team are doing a phenomenal job,' White House spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez told the Daily Mail.
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Alvarez → do → Mail
Still, there's a feeling the ban's frenzy might have been contained if more experienced press handlers had been in the West Wing.
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handlers → be → Wing
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt left at the end of August to spend more time with her young children.
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Leavitt → leave → children
Insiders say she often talked Trump down from rash decisions about the White House press corps.
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she → say → corps
'The White House is no man's land right now,' another insider fumed.
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insider → fume → ?
'Karoline Leavitt would have never let this happen.'
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this → let → ?
'Prior, when Trump would go to her and say he wanted to make some crazy decision related to the press, she would have him stand down or talk him out of it.
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him → go → it
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
