Donald Trump's Closeness to Mar-a-Lago Aide Could Backfire Spectacularly

By

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page
US News Reporter
Trust Project Icon Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member

🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.

Donald Trump's close relationship with his personal aide, Walt Nauta, could end up being dangerous for him as the criminal case against the former president proceeds, a former federal prosecutor told Newsweek.

Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in a Miami federal court to 37 criminal charges that he mishandled classified documents upon leaving office in January 2021 and obstructed the government's efforts to retrieve them. The FBI retrieved more than 300 classified documents at Mar-a-Lago during a raid last year, but the former president insists they had been declassified.

Together with the former president in court on Tuesday was Nauta, a 40-year-old U.S. Navy veteran and a former Trump White House military valet who joined him as his personal assistant at his Florida estate after he left office in January 2021. Nauta was charged by federal prosecutors alongside Trump with the alleged mishandling of national security documents.

He is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding records, concealing documents, scheming to conceal facts from investigators, and making false or misleading statements.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster, New Jersey, on June 13, 2023. Trump appeared in court in Miami for an arraignment regarding 37 federal charges, including violations... ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images

According to prosecutors, Nauta can be seen on surveillance footage removing boxes of classified documents from a storage room at Mar-a-Lago before an imminent search of the property by federal authorities, and then putting some of them back. In May 2022, prosecutors said Nauta lied about not knowing that the boxes had arrived on site in an interview with the FBI.

While Trump pleaded not guilty in the federal court, as widely expected, Nauta didn't enter a plea deal because he didn't have a local lawyer with him in court on Tuesday. He will be arraigned on June 27, when he could then enter a plea deal.

He was released without a bond, together with Trump, whom he followed to the Cuban restaurant, Versailles, where the former president met his cheering supporters.

Walt Nauta
Walt Nauta, a valet to former U.S. President Donald Trump and a co-defendant in federal charges filed against Trump, arrives at Miami International Airport on June 12, 2023, in Miami, Florida. Nauta's recent presence at... Win McNamee/Getty Images

While Nauta's presence at the Miami restaurant shows his unwavering loyalty to Trump, the closeness between the two could prove risky for the former president, former federal prosecutor Christine Adams told Newsweek—considering Trump and Nauta were ordered by magistrate judge Jonathan Goodman not to talk to other witnesses.

"Magistrate Judge Goodman's order that Trump and Nauta not discuss the case with each other is going to be very interesting given that Nauta works closely with Trump as his personal assistant," Adams, now a partner and founder at Los Angeles-based Adams, Duerk & Kamenstein, said.

"If Trump flouts the court's order and chooses to discuss the case with Nauta, those discussions would not be privileged. And if Nauta elected to plead guilty and cooperate with the government, he could testify about those conversations."

At the moment, Trump and Nauta seem to be pretty close, to the point where it seems unlikely that Nauta would cooperate with prosecutors against the former president—especially as he seems to have his back.

On Friday, Trump defended Nauta on Truth Social saying that the DOJ was "trying to destroy his life" and "hoping that he will say bad things about 'Trump'."

Request Reprint & Licensing Submit Correction View Editorial & AI Guidelines

Top stories

About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more