Donald Trump appears to be relying on more than one trusted aide when the pressure starts piling up. A prominent journalist recently said the president has another close confidant who fills a role similar to Natalie Harp — except this time, it is a man.
Boris Epshteyn’s place in Donald Trump’s inner circle
Maggie Haberman, a New York Times political correspondent and co-author of Regime Change, discussed Donald Trump’s reliance on staff members during a Friday appearance on CNN. She described Natalie Harp as a “comfort blanket” because the president places enormous value on her constant presence and support.
Haberman then pointed to Boris Epshteyn as another person who provides Trump with that kind of reassurance. She identified Epshteyn, the president’s legal adviser, as one of the men who have occupied what she called the “binkie” role. According to Haberman, Trump has described Epshteyn as his “psychiatrist” and appreciates having someone who can simply reassure him that “everything is going to be ok,” which is “a lot of what the president values” (via The Daily Beast).
Epshteyn has remained around Trump for years. The 44-year-old Russian-American lawyer advised Trump’s campaigns beginning in 2016 and became his personal legal counsel in 2025. His name also surfaced in the investigation surrounding the Trump campaign’s alleged fake-electors effort, and Arizona indicted him in 2024. He pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges in that case.
Harp, meanwhile, serves as Trump’s special assistant and executive assistant and earns roughly $150,000 annually. Her close relationship with the president has attracted scrutiny, including reports of friction with First Lady Melania Trump. Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s book says Trump considers Harp exceptionally devoted, describing her as someone “who loves him as much as his wife and children.”
Trump has pushed back hard against Haberman’s reporting. On Truth Social, he called her book “mostly made up” and “Fake News,” while attacking her writing and insisting she had repeatedly gotten major stories about him wrong. He also criticized the book’s sales, saying people continue buying what he considers “largely fiction.”
Haberman’s Regime Change sold more than 500,000 copies during its first month and ranks as 2026’s best-selling nonfiction book so far.
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya on Mandatory.
