A leading Democratic strategist from the Obama administration criticized Sen. Jon Ossoff’s remarks about President Donald Trump as “gratuitous and unnecessary.” This comes as Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, raises his profile during the re-election campaign, which has sparked speculation about a possible presidential run in 2028.
Ossoff gained attention recently when he criticized Trump for the situation in Iran and the extended deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East. Ossoff also targeted Trump’s executive assistant, Natalie Harp, during his speech.
“While the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings. He golfs and trades stocks,” Ossoff remarked. “So he doesn’t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar.”
This statement led to significant backlash from Trump, his supporters, Rep. Mike Collins, and critical comments from Democrat David Axelrod, who played a key role in electing Barack Obama. Axelrod praised Ossoff’s previous critiques of Trump but believed the mention of Harp was unnecessary.
Critics and Supporters React
Axelrod commented on social media, noting that the speech’s paragraph received much attention for its strong critique but criticized the inclusion of the phrase “with Natalie.” He suggested the Ossoff campaign likely boosted the clip’s virality, which has over 6 million views, but detracted from the main message.
Rep. Mike Collins echoed Axelrod’s sentiment, stating, “It’s disgusting that he would attack a young female staffer just to score cheap political points with his radical activist base.” He added that prominent Democrats calling out Ossoff proves his point.
However, some Democratic social media figures disagreed. Joanne Carducci, known as Jojofromjerz, defended Ossoff, calling his mention of Harp “genius.” She argued that politics had evolved since Axelrod’s time, and following old rules could lead to continued losses.
While Trump himself quickly responded by likening Ossoff to “Pee-wee Herman,” and defended his ballroom construction at the White House, Ossoff remained unfazed. Appearing on MSNOW, Ossoff stated, “no one cares about their feelings,” and remarked on the White House’s response, “It’s been amazing to watch this White House melt down over this all week.”
He emphasized that White House staffers are public officials with responsibilities and are paid by taxpayers.