Morning Joe Pushes Ossoff 2028 After Innuendo About Natalie Harp

Alex Christy
September 3rd, 2026 11:36 AM

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Democratic Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff is up for re-election in two months, but the cast of MS NOW’s Morning Joe is already looking ahead two years to 2028. On Thursday, co-host Jonathan Lemire welcomed The New Republic editor Michael Tomasky to talk about his latest article that hyped Ossoff’s ability to create “conflict,” while highlighting his insinuation that President Trump is having an affair with aide Natalie Harp.

Lemire introduced Tomasky and his thesis that Democrats just don’t fight hard enough, “Our next guest argues in a new piece for The New Republic that Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia has something that other Democrats don't. In a word, conflict... Indeed, what do you mean when you say Jon Ossoff has conflict? And is it a good thing?”

 

 

Tomasky began with a general thought about how politics works in the internet age, “It's a very good thing. To answer your second question first, and here's what I mean. We live in an age, this age of Donald Trump, who gets out there publicly and creates conflict every single day. And in the age of social media, where merely taking positions isn't enough for a politician to do any more. That's not going to attract any attention. What attracts attention, for better or perhaps for worse, is conflict.”

Getting to Ossoff, Tomasky then hyped his reference to Trump and Harp but naturally refused to say why the remark got Ossoff in trouble, “Ossoff knows how to make conflict. He knows how to throw punches at Trump and MAGA World that land. The recent Natalie Harp episode being the most obvious example. And that was very skillful. And a lot of people criticized him, of course, for including her and for just mentioning her first name, which I think was the particular genius of it. But it got him talked about, and it got millions of people to see that thing.”

He then added more Ossoff praise, “So he really has an instinct for conflict and virality, and that's what has got people interested in him in the Democratic Party as a potential 2028 candidate.”

Lemire then read from Tomasky’s article, “You highlight how President Trump has used conflict to his advantage, writing in part, this: ‘Donald Trump gets it. He's out there every day creating conflict. Naturally, he creates far too much conflict, and his ‘all-stick-no-carrot’ brand of authoritarianism means that even his ostensible allies catch strays. But the fight he picks drive the agenda, every day. I hope the next Democratic president understands this and gets out there nearly every day, taking questions and throwing punches at Republicans and oligarchs and monopolists. That's how you get people to pay attention and persuade them that you're on their side. In politics, you're defined by the enemies you're willing to make.’”

Setting the ball on the tee, Lemire added, “So, Michael Tomasky, that Trump is the master of the attention economy, that's for sure. You're saying that Ossoff, and sounds like other Democrats, could take some notes?”

 

 

Tomasky replied, “Absolutely. You know, the traditional posture of Democratic presidents toward their office, toward their bully pulpit has really been to use that pulpit rather sparingly. You know, Oval Office addresses in primetime: very, very rare. Presidential press availabilities: quite rare, especially in Joe Biden's last couple of years. And it has just been thought that presidents should not get out there and do this personally and publicly too much.”

That’s more because Biden embarrassed himself whenever he went out in public, but before Democrats all realized that there were still infamous episodes such as the “semi-fascism” speech.

Tomasky also claimed, “You could argue that Trump overexposes himself. Like, three times a day is a little much. But I say, as I said in the piece, as you just quoted, he drives the agenda. He creates news that Democrats have to respond to what he says, and he puts the issues that he wants out there, out there. He names names. He names bad guys, he names villains, and he sets the terms of debate. And I hope the next Democratic president, whether it's Jon Ossoff or whoever, does take a page from that playbook.”

If Democratic voters like it when a senator implies an aide is having an affair with the president despite having no evidence, then the proper conversation would be about whether Democrats are hypocrites when they criticize Trump on decency grounds. Instead, Morning Joe ignores the context of Ossoff’s remarks and uses them to get a jump start on 2028.   

Here is a transcript for the September 3 show:

MS NOW Morning Joe

9/3/2026

8:38 AM ET

JONATHAN LEMIRE: Our next guest argues in a new piece for The New Republic that Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia has something that other Democrats don't. In a word, conflict. The piece’s author, editor of The New Republic Michael Tomasky, joins us now to explain. Also with us, co-founder and CEO of All in Together, Lauren Leader. My thanks to you both for joining us this morning. So, Michael, we'll start with you. Indeed, what do you mean when you say Jon Ossoff has conflict? And is it a good thing?

MICHAEL TOMASKY: It's a very good thing. To answer your second question first, and here's what I mean. We live in an age, this age of Donald Trump, who gets out there publicly and creates conflict every single day. And in the age of social media, where merely taking positions isn't enough for a politician to do any more. That's not going to attract any attention. What attracts attention, for better or perhaps for worse, is conflict.

Ossoff knows how to make conflict. He knows how to throw punches at Trump and MAGA World that land. The recent Natalie Harp episode being the most obvious example. And that was very skillful. And a lot of people criticized him, of course, for including her and for just mentioning her first name, which I think was the particular genius of it.

But it got him talked about, and it got millions of people to see that thing. So he really has an instinct for conflict and virality, and that's what has got people interested in him in the Democratic Party as a potential 2028 candidate.

LEMIRE: So, Michael, let's read a smidge from your new piece. You highlight how President Trump has used conflict to his advantage, writing in part, this: “Donald Trump gets it. He's out there every day creating conflict. Naturally, he creates far too much conflict, and his ‘all-stick-no-carrot’ brand of authoritarianism means that even his ostensible allies catch strays. But the fight he picks drive the agenda, every day. I hope the next Democratic president understands this and gets out there nearly every day, taking questions and throwing punches at Republicans and oligarchs and monopolists. That's how you get people to pay attention and persuade them that you're on their side. In politics, you're defined by the enemies you're willing to make,” and we hope that viewers at home are not paying attention to the beeping sound that we now have here in studio.

Not sure if you can hear it on air or not. Sounds like a truck is backing up. Hopefully not through this wall behind me.

So, Michael Tomasky, that Trump is the master of the attention economy, that's for sure. You're saying that Ossoff, and sounds like other Democrats, could take some notes?

TOMASKY: Absolutely. You know, the traditional posture of Democratic presidents toward their office, toward their bully pulpit has really been to use that pulpit rather sparingly. You know, Oval Office addresses in primetime: very, very rare. Presidential press availabilities: quite rare, especially in Joe Biden's last couple of years.

And it has just been thought that presidents should not get out there and do this personally and publicly too much. Now, you could argue that Trump overexposes himself. Like, three times a day is a little much. But I say, as I said in the piece, as you just quoted, he drives the agenda. He creates news that Democrats have to respond to what he says, and he puts the issues that he wants out there, out there. He names names. He names bad guys, he names villains, and he sets the terms of debate. And I hope the next Democratic president, whether it's Jon Ossoff or whoever, does take a page from that playbook.

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