David Axelrod Breaks from Dems on Jon Ossoff’s Viral Jab at Trump Aide: ‘Gratuitous and Unnecessary’

Veteran Democratic strategist David Axelrod was not a fan of Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) mentioning one of President Donald Trump’s key aides during a rally speech.
The political world was set ablaze following Ossoff’s Sunday comments about Natalie Harp, in which the campaigning Ossoff claimed Trump was more interested in “travel with Natalie” than in doing his job.
Harp, the executive assistant to the president, has been a member of Trump’s inner circle for years. Her close relationship with the president has been the subject of scrutiny and speculation.
While Ossoff was largely praised by the left for the dig at Harp, Axelrod made it clear he did not approve. In a Wednesday post on X, he claimed the viral moment took away from what was otherwise a strong speech.
“No one has been more consistently eloquent or incisive in exposing @realDonaldTrump than @Ossoff,” Axelrod tweeted. “The paragraph from his weekend speech that has gotten so much attention was a brutal takedown. But two words in it, ‘with Natalie’ seemed gratuitous and unnecessary. They juiced the virality of it, I’m sure. Probably thrilled some in the base, who figured it was just giving Trump a taste of his own nasty medicine. But they distracted and detracted from the power of the message.”
Ossoff’s viral comments have led to renewed interest in Harp. The 35-year-old previously worked as an anchor for the pro-Trump network One America News.
She’s reportedly fiercely loyal to the president, going as far as sending “devotional letters” and telling him, “You are all that matters to me.”
A recent report from CNN revealed the lengths Harp goes through to remain near Trump as much as possible. According to the report, she sat in the trunk of an SUV in his motorcade just to make sure she joined the president at a court appearance.
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