Donald Trump’s former campaign manager was nearly laughed off set when he gave his extraordinary take on comments made about the president’s young blonde aide, Natalie Harp.
Harp has been a constant in the news cycle lately because of her close relationship with her 80-year-old boss. The Washington Post reported last week that the 35-year-old was one of the chosen few smuggled off Air Force One in a catering truck with the president after an apparent Iranian threat against him.
This formed the basis of an attack from Democratic Sen. John Ossoff of Georgia, who told a re-election rally on Sunday that Trump is not interested in the presidency, but rather the perks that come with it. “See, he doesn’t want to do the job; he wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie to their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar,” he said, igniting MAGA blowback.
Among the throng of commentators moving to lambast Ossoff for his take was Trump’s former aide and 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien.
He was on CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip on Monday evening, when the host asked, “I also wonder, Bill, why the freakout? I mean, I have rarely seen the White House in this kind of form. And I can imagine that some of it has to do with, this is actually somebody who’s legitimately very important to the president, which kind of speaks to what Jon Ossoff’s saying.”
She was referring to the response from the White House and some of its staffers. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, for example, referred to Ossoff as “Jon Jackoff” and a “cuck loser.”
Stepien’s response prompted ridicule. Citing the fact that Ossoff doubled down on MS Now’s The Briefing on Monday, Stepien said, “The follow-up there from the senator should’ve been an apology, because I agree, it was below the belt. The reason for the freakout, the reason for the freakout…”
Enter former aide to ex-President Bill Clinton, Keith Boykin. “You worked for Donald Trump!” he said, incredulous.
“You worked for Donald Trump! How can you say anything is below the belt when you worked for Donald Trump in the White House?!”
Stepien tried to push his his point, as Boykin interrupted. “The reason for the freakout by the Trump…” he began, with Boykin butting in, “That’s outrageous!”
Stepien maintained that Ossoff’s comment was “below the belt.”
“John Ossoff ran for office. Donald Trump ran for office. Criticize them, put a spotlight on them, talk about them. She’s a government staffer…” Stepien said.
Boykin chimed in, “She was on the plane with them when they left Turkey.”
The conversation ignited a cross-talk bonanza. Boykin’s point was that, in his opinion, the comments from Ossoff pale in comparison to those made by Trump.
He accused Stepien of “fake outrage.”
