More than 23 people close to the inner workings of former President Donald Trump's life painted a picture of his post-presidential psyche in interviews with The Washington Post.
Some of the people interviewed, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, shared that Trump needed constant reassurance and ego boosts from his staff on a daily basis.
Natalie Harp, a former host on the conservative cable network One America News, is now a Trump employee who accompanies him on his daily golf trips with a laptop and sometimes a printer to show him "uplifting" news articles and social media posts that might lift his spirits. Trump's White House assistant and current aide Molly Michael also sometimes calls his network of allies to ask them to call the former president with "positive affirmations."
Former Trump adviser-turned-critic David Urban told the Post that the former president does not want constructive criticism from his employees.
"He needs someone there to say, 'Here's a really bad idea, and this is why,'" he said. "I don't think he has that kind of crowd around him right now. Nor does the president want anybody like that."
Another longtime Trump confidant described his post-presidential life in Florida as "sad," as he tries to recreate his life at the White House.
"It's like a Barbie Dream House miniature," the confidant said.
Other observers say that the constant reassurance Trump received from his staff after leaving office led to irresponsible conduct that may result in a criminal indictment, like the mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
"I think it's pretty obvious, when there was no one around to tell you that, 'No, Mr. President, you cannot do that,' it just leads inevitably to this kind of problem," said author Chris Whipple, who writes on the inner workings of the White House. He added that the current environment in Florida "looks almost like the Trump Presidency 2.0," but with "no guard rails, on steroids."
In response to the reports from staff, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung claimed in a statement to the Post that Trump "spent the last two years continuing to build up the MAGA movement and helping elect America First candidates across the country, to the tune of a 98.6% endorsement record in primary elections." He added that "there is nobody who has worked harder to advance the conservative movement" than Trump.
"After years of biased media coverage and Big Tech meddling in an election to help Joe Biden and the Democrats, President Trump continues to be the single, most dominant force in politics and people — especially unnamed sources who purport to be close to him — should never doubt his ability to win in a decisive and commanding fashion," Cheung wrote.
It appears that Trump's staff had to begin showering him with positive affirmations from the moment he left office. In early 2021, Trump requested his team of advisers to summon a press pool — like the reporters and photographers that traveled with him during his presidency — for an event at Mar-a-Lago. However, he didn't understand that since he was no longer president, there was no press pool on call.
"We had to explain to him that he didn't have a group standing around waiting for him anymore," one former aide shared with The Post.
Advisers also shared that he was angry about being banned from social media sites, especially Twitter, which he used constantly during his presidency. His account was suspended for spreading misinformation and inciting violence on Jan. 8, 2021, two days after the attack on the Capitol. Sources told the Post he barely focused on anything but his election loss, and spreading conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 insurrection.
"It was a really dark, dark time," the aide told The Post, recalling that his team would ask "are you going to set up a library? What's your post-presidential foundation?" He added that Trump "wasn't interested in any of that at all."
Now that he has lost the press coverage that comes with the presidency, Trump has sought out admiration from club members who pay for access to his Mar-a-Lago and New Jersey clubs where he is almost always present.
"The appetite for attention hasn't waned, but that's where he gets it now," a Trump confidant told the Post. "The networks don't carry his rallies. He doesn't get interviews anymore. He can't stand under the wing of Air Force One and gaggle [with reporters] for an hour."
If Trump doesn't get enough attention from Mar-a-Lago members, he can rely on constant praise from Harp, who some longtime aides are wary of. While some advisers have warned Trump to check his statements on Truth Social before posting them, Harp is known to be willing to post whatever he wants without review.
Harp is also said to be attached to Trump all day, including sitting outside his office and following him around during his golf games. "Like other staffers, I do spend time with him," Harp wrote. "He is extremely popular with the people," she said. "I see that by being with him."
However, some are not happy about her influence.
"She is indicative of the people around him who just love him," one adviser said. "Love him too much."
