Ever since Democrat Senator Jon Ossoff took a gratuitous shot at White House aide Natalie Harp during a campaign rally in Atlanta last weekend, implying that the relationship she has with President Trump is more than just business, the left wing media has been having a field day with the story. This led to some tense moments Thursday on Fox News's Special Report with Bret Baier.
During the panel segment, Trace Gallagher, filling in for Baier, read an excerpt of an Axios column on how Ossoff's remarks will fit with the election strategy of the Democrat party, and tossed to former PA Democrat Rep Patrick Murphy.
GALLAGHER: Jon Ossoff, the Senator from Georgia, testing Democrats’ appetite for going low: "He doesn't want to do the job," Ossoff said of Trump. "He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie," speaking of Natalie Harp, his assistant, "on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar."
[Reading from Axios:] Ossoff highlighted an emerging divide among top Democrats that's more about temperament than ideology. Democrat candidates know voters want a fighter. The question is how low they're willing to go.
The theme of this seems to me, that you know if you're Ossoff, you say something that is going to get a lot of eyeballs and it's going to get a lot of controversy and gin things up a little bit, and try to tell your party you're a fighter. What do you think of this?
MURPHY: I think Jon Ossoff is his own man. And I think that, there's a lot of folks in the White House that have their panties in a bunch because the truth hurts. And that's what Jon Ossoff said, "the truth hurts." And I think there's a lot of folks who are really looking at what's really going on right now and not happy about it, I'll say that.
Gallagher then attempted to change the subject away from Ossoff, to a comment made by the Mayor of Atlanta, but when it was his turn to respond, Fox contributor Hugh Hewitt had other ideas.
GALLAGHER: The Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens calls the DNC for abandoning black voters saying they are afraid to leave their comfort zone and blind to the fact the south is the answer. They are abandoning Atlanta abandoning the south and once again abandoning black voters.... Hugh Hewitt, your thoughts on that.
HEWITT: Well, the Atlanta Mayor is true, but what Patrick just said, and I've got to correct him, is not. Natalie Harp is absolutely above board, Jon Ossoff what he said was repulsive, he's been repudiated by David Axelrod, and other serious Democrats--MURPHY: Hugh, Hugh--
HEWITT: He should apologize--
MURPHY: Hugh, time out, time out!
And it continued, as Murphy tried to perpetuate the nonsense of a romantic relationship between Trump and Harp, but Hewitt wasn't having it.
MURPHY: President Trump left his Secretary of State, and his Secretary of Treasury--
--CROSSTALK--
HEWITT: Natalie Harp has not had any relationship with the President, it's disgusting Patrick--
MURPHY: He didn't say that. He said he went on a plane with her--
HEWITT:: To Insinuate that is disgusting--
MURPHY: I know you're clutching your pearls--
HEWITT: Do you think it's true? Do you think it's true? No you don't. You know it's a lie by Ossoff, you know it's a lie by Ossoff--
MURPHY: Did the President take a plane with her and left the Secretary of State. Yes or no?
HEWITT: She is a close aide, and if you're going to deal in misogynistic lies, shame on you and the Democratic Party.
MURPHY: God bless the party.
Gallagher then asked USA Today's Francesca Chambers to weigh in, and she pointed out that the White House has been hitting back hard at Ossoff's comments, and again brought up David Axelrod's repudiation of what he said.
Battles like this usually don't take place on Special Report, but Hewitt was angry and passionate and wisely, Gallagher let him go at it with Murphy. It was a needed rebuttal, and great television.
