RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 8 sourcesA White House aide is becoming a household name due to a feeding frenzy by liberal media stemming from a comment by an ambitious Democrat.
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who polls currently suggest will win re-election in November and has already been generating 2028 presidential buzz, went viral over the weekend for a jab he made at President Donald Trump , heavily suggesting Trump was having an inappropriate relationship with his personal aide, Natalie Harp.
Ossoff claimed Trump would rather "build a ballroom and travel with Natalie" than do his job as president.
The comment drew instant backlash from conservatives. When asked about it on MS NOW, Ossoff insisted he referenced her merely as Trump's "security blanket" and nothing more, leaving conservatives to pummel him as a "coward" for not standing behind what they considered to be sexist innuendo.
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Still, that hasn't stopped the media from obsessing over the 35-year-old White House aide.
The New York Times published a profile on how Harp "emerge[d]" in the national spotlight after Ossoff's comment.
"She never takes a day off, not even on Sunday," the Times began the profile. "She works out of the Oval Office, and she’s got a regular seat on Marine One. She texts with world leaders on the president’s behalf. She stays up late with him drafting social media posts. She rarely speaks on camera, and yet she is never not there, ever-present with a wide smile and her eyes fixed on the president.
"She is a platinum blonde geyser of positivity, there to buck him up when the going gets rough," the paper wrote , adding how she's often referred to as Trump's "human printer" for giving him hard copies of documents with her portable printer.
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Harp has received overwhelming coverage on cable news. Her name has been mentioned at least 86 times on MS NOW since Monday, according to Grabien transcripts. CNN has mentioned her at least a whopping 132 times in the same period.
CNN made headlines with a story , citing unnamed sources, alleging Harp "jumped into an SUV trunk" to ride with Trump for an October 2023 court appearance because she "wouldn’t take no for an answer" when the vehicle didn't have enough room.
The network also drew intense backlash for interviewing Harp's estranged brother on air.
CNN's Brian Stelter said it "mounts to a victory for Ossoff," crediting him with "the art of the viral clip."
"His 'travel with Natalie' line ... showed a sophisticated understanding of the social media environment. It titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously," Stelter wrote .
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The Daily Beast ran a tabloid-esque story alleging first lady Melania Trump is "locked in a secret power struggle" over her husband with Harp, citing speculation from anti-Trump author Michael Wolff. Rolling Stone declared in a headline, "Nothing About Trump and Natalie Harp Is Normal," while Forbes went more suspicious with its headline, "Natalie Harp Seen Everywhere With Trump Lately—Why That’s Raising Questions."
The far-left publication Salon tied Harp's presence to Trump's health, running the headline, "Trump aide Natalie Harp nurses his decline."
"Whatever the case, the rumors have served to draw more attention to Trump’s age," Salon wrote .
"But the simple fact that he requires a woman to linger around him most of the time, ready to express her devotion and that of his most ardent followers, isn’t a great look. When considered alongside the extraordinary medical privacy exerted by Trump and the White House, it cuts against his failing efforts to position himself as virile and robust."
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Others, meanwhile, are reveling in the media discourse set off by Ossoff. Axios examined how his one-liner is testing "Democrats' appetite for going low" ahead of 2028.
"Some battleground candidates are going viral for shooting from the hip. Jon Ossoff is doing it from a carefully controlled script," Politico wrote .
"Ossoff’s campaign appearances are marked by pithy stump lines that are prone to catch fire online and aggressive jabs at Trump and his Republican opponent that appeal to Democrats’ desire for fighter candidates. But behind his bold persona on the trail is a senator who is hands-on in all aspects of his campaign, including messaging."
Conservative critics are blasting the rampant coverage of Harp.
"So Jon Ossoff and some very online Dems make catty and suggestive remarks about Natalie Harp and so all the major news orgs scramble to follow ‘the story,’" Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross reacted.
"The egregious sexist attacks on Natalie Harp are absolutely insane — and they’re coming from prestigious journalists. What is wrong with everyone?!" podcast host Meghan McCain posted on X. "Every president has close aides and sometimes they are females. Like what year is this?! Should women never go into politics?!"
In a statement to Fox News Digital , the White House called Harp "one of the most loyal and hardest-working aides on President Trump's team."
"The Fake News’s continued attacks on President Trump and his administration prove exactly why trust in media is at historic lows," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.
"The media should get back to reporting real news and stop regurgitating Trump-Deranged liberal talking points."
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