A Republican has grudgingly admitted Democratic Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff was right to raise concerns about Natalie Harp.
Republican strategist Doug Heye admitted on CNN that he agreed Harp should face scrutiny — but not because of her personal relationship with President Donald Trump.
"Therehave been a lot of vettingissues with Trump administrationstaffers," Heye said, "before Jon Ossoffever said the words 'Natalie Harp'and caused everybody to freakout."
This comment likely came in reference to reports that Harp declined multiple times to seek a routine security clearance normally obtained by West Wing staffers, which has raised concerns among the White House counsel’s office and security officials.
"I think that's the part of the question that should begetting more attention asopposed to sort of the innuendothat other people are trying to put out there," Heye said.
Heye's co-panelist were more interested in the innuendo — and spent a lot of time discussing First Lady Melania Trump's recent return to the spotlight.
Trump made her first public appearance in more than a month to launch her "Fostering the Future Together" scholarship initiative for foster-care kids, but panelists argued there was another reason Melania reemerged.
"The president obviously is in a very uncomfortable and awkward position," said Vox podcaster Noelle King, "and certainly having the first lady be present and say, 'I'm still the first lady, I'm still here.'"
New York Times podcaster Lulu Garcia-Navarro focused on another aspect of the first lady's relationship with her husband.
"This is a very transactional relationship between Melania Trump and the president," she said. "I think someone recently did a sort of study of how many appearances, official appearances she's participated in, and it's very, very small."
Garcia-Navarro agreed Melania's return to the spotlight was likely linked to the increasing attention on Harp's relationship with Trump.
"Ultimately, she can show up whenever she wants," Garcia-Navarro added, "but the question of course, does remain, what is the relationship between the president and Natalie Harp and, you know, and what does Melania Trump think about it? Because at the end of the day...she's not only his political partner, he is her actual partner."