Jon Ossoff has turned Donald Trump’s favorite weapons against him, and he did so by targeting the president’s private life with an attack below the belt. During a rally held Sunday, August 16, in Atlanta, the Democratic senator from Georgia criticized the U.S. president’s priorities by referencing Natalie Harp, one of the president’s closest aides, whom well-informed journalist Maggie Haberman has called the head of state’s “security blanket.”
“While the soldiers on the Lincoln fight for his war, while he vainly exhausts our ammunition and oil reserves, the president sleeps during his meetings. He plays golf and amuses himself making stock market moves. He doesn’t want to do his job,” Ossoff declared, as he campaigns to retain his Georgia seat in November’s midterm elections. Then came the notorious jab: “He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie in his flying, defenseless palace, given by the Emir of Qatar.”
The remark, which also referenced the president’s last-minute aircraft change during a stopover in Turkey, drew boos from the crowd. The relationship between the U.S. president and his adviser has raised many questions in recent weeks, with some Washington political observers even speculating that Natalie Harp might be his mistress. That is precisely the insinuation Jon Ossoff played on.
Natalie Harp Stays Glued to the President’s Side
Natalie Harp was among the few staffers briefed on the secret aircraft switch involving Donald Trump in July, following the identification of an Iranian threat against the presidential plane. According to U.S. media reports, she was reportedly one of those who stayed with the White House occupant during that episode. Meanwhile, Air Force One, the targeted aircraft, continued its journey with other officials and journalists on board. That decision sparked widespread criticism and questions.
Records of presidential travel also show that Natalie Harp accompanied Donald Trump on several official trips over the summer — further fueling controversy about the nature of their relationship, which Jon Ossoff was the first to address publicly.
The executive assistant has become a familiar figure in Trump’s inner circle since his return to the White House in 2025. She is known for staying close to the president with a portable printer to supply him with articles and information she selects. The habit earned her the nickname “human printer.” She also helps manage Donald Trump’s posts on his social network, Truth Social.
A former host on the conservative, staunchly pro-Trump network One America News, Harp publicly recounted her battle with bone cancer and explained that Donald Trump played a role in her access to an experimental treatment following the passage of the Right to Try Act in 2018. She went so far as to say Donald Trump had saved her life.
“You Are All That Matters to Me.”
Natalie Harp’s brother, Preston, with whom she is no longer in contact, described her relationship with the president as “very unhealthy” in an interview with the tabloid The Daily Mail. He claimed her devotion to the president went so far as leaving him admiring personal notes. Among those revealed, one read: “You are all that matters to me.”
The closeness between Natalie Harp and Donald Trump was documented by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in their book Regime Change. The highly respected New York Times journalist described Harp as a reassuring presence for the president, explaining that she was among the people Donald Trump deeply trusted. Haberman went so far as to call her a “comfort blanket” and a “binkie” — terms comparable to a security blanket or a child’s favorite toy.
While campaigning for the midterms, Jon Ossoff chose to question President Trump’s priorities at a time when the commander-in-chief is facing fierce criticism over the war in Iran. His example crystallizes the controversy: the sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed for months in deplorable conditions and serving as collateral victims of a conflict that drags on. Their families worry about the health impact of the aircraft carrier’s extended mission in the Middle East and denounce living conditions aboard. The administration has dismissed those accusations.
