The Trump administration criticized Aaron Rupar, a liberal journalist, for focusing on Natalie Harp, a White House executive assistant, who accompanies President Donald Trump. Rupar highlighted Harp’s presence during Trump’s trip to Ireland, extending scrutiny that started after Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff mentioned her in a campaign speech.

The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account reacted to Rupar’s post, which showed a photo of Harp during the trip. Rupar used the hashtag #TravelWithNatalie, to which the account replied, labeling Rupar as a “sick, deluded freak” who only posts “creepy things” about Harp.

Rupar has frequently used #TravelWithNatalie in his posts, including comments about Harp traveling with Trump and the president’s “gigantic diaper bag.” His focus follows Ossoff’s comments that propelled Harp into media coverage.

NewsBusters Executive Editor Tim Graham stated that Rupar’s posts deliberately played off the controversy generated by Ossoff’s remarks. Graham said Rupar was exploiting the situation for Trump’s critics, describing it as “toying with the original Ossoff affair smear.”

The attention on Harp began with Ossoff’s criticism of Trump during a campaign speech. Conservatives interpreted his remarks as suggesting an inappropriate relationship between Trump and Harp, which Ossoff later denied. Ossoff accused Trump of prioritizing personal pursuits over presidential duties, mentioning Harp’s presence.

Ossoff faced questions from host Jen Psaki about mentioning Harp by name. He denied suggesting an affair, stating that he heard Harp referred to as Trump’s security blanket, a term applicable to many White House aides.

The White House defended Harp, describing her as loyal and hardworking. They dismissed Ossoff’s remarks, criticizing him as a “cringeworthy” figure pretending to be Barack Obama.

Fox News reported that CNN and other networks had mentioned Harp extensively following Ossoff’s comments, underscoring the media’s focus on her presence with Trump.