From Fox News · CJ Womack · · 1m 50s
The White House calls a reporter a 'sick, deluded freak'
One senator's throwaway line about a Trump aide turned into weeks of cable coverage and a White House account calling a reporter a freak.
In brief
One senator's throwaway line about a Trump aide turned into weeks of cable coverage and a White House account calling a reporter a freak. A single ambiguous line in a campaign speech gave both sides a fight they wanted, and the aide at the center of it never said a word. Originally reported by Fox News.
A photo, and a hashtag
Aaron Rupar posted a picture of White House aide Natalie Harp on Trump's Ireland trip, captioned "Look who made the trip to Ireland!" with his running #TravelWithNatalie tag.
“Look who made the trip to Ireland!”
The White House hits back
The official Rapid Response 47 account replied within hours, saying Trump travels with staff and then going after Rupar personally, including his age.
“Aaron, on the other hand, is a sick, deluded freak (in his 40s) who sits behind a keyboard”
Rupar shrugs it off
He answered on X by mocking the line of attack, pointing out that a government-run account had just insulted him for being in his 40s.
“The taxpayer-funded White House incitement account is now attacking me for [checks notes] being in my 40s”
Where it started
Sen. Jon Ossoff named Harp in a campaign speech, accusing Trump of chasing personal projects instead of the job. Conservatives read it as hinting at an affair.
“He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar”
Ossoff says that is not it
Pressed by MS NOW host Jen Psaki on why he used her name, Ossoff denied any affair suggestion and said he meant the aides who cushion Trump.
“I've heard this particular aide referred to as his security blanket”
The first response was uglier
Before any of this, the White House defended Harp as a top aide and called Ossoff a lightweight in language that made the rounds on its own.
“Jon Ossoff is a cringeworthy, feminine theatre kid cosplaying as Barack Obama”
Hundreds of mentions
Fox News Digital counted CNN and MS NOW naming Harp hundreds of times in the days after Ossoff spoke. CNN alone hit at least 132 by Aug. 19.
Trolling, says NewsBusters
Tim Graham argued Rupar is playing to Trump haters, and that the wall-to-wall coverage never asks why a staffer standing near the president became a story.
“Rupar knows he is trolling for the Trump haters.”
The short version
A single ambiguous line in a campaign speech gave both sides a fight they wanted, and the aide at the center of it never said a word.
