Rosie O’Donnell very subtly touched on the fascination surrounding Donald Trump’s relationship with White House assistant Natalie Harp, referencing both of them at the start of her monologue.
Specifically, O’Donnell kicked off Wednesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which she is guest hosting for the week, with a special message for the president.
“A special hello to those of you watching from home and from the White House,” O’Donnell said at the top of the show. “But I do have some bad news for President Petty Roosevelt. That’s all I’m going to say about you tonight, sweetheart.”
After a round of applause from the studio audience, O’Donnell let one more zinger rip, noting, “You got to realize it’s time to hang up your wig and let Natalie tuck you in.”
This comment prompted a big reaction from the crowd, who could be heard gasping in delight while erupting into applause.
She added: “Time to go nighty night.”
Watch O’Donnell’s Trump comments and the rest of her monologue below. Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
O’Donnell’s mention of Harp came amid growing questions about Trump’s dynamic with the White House staffer. The drama started when Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) suggested in a speech Sunday that Trump simply “wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar.”
While conservative media responded by blasting Ossoff’s remark as misogynistic and problematic, liberal media capitalized on the moment to dig deeper into Trump and Harp’s bond.
For instance, CNN’s Erin Burnett had Harp’s estranged brother Preston on “OutFront” Tuesday, where he suggested his sister may have an “unhealthy obsession” with the president after learning she reportedly jumped into an SUV trunk to remain close to Trump.
The conversation drew ire from Trump’s son Eric, who blasted the interview as “absolute trash.”
“Natalie is an incredible young woman — a cancer survivor, a genuinely good person, and arguably one of the hardest-working people in the White House,” he added. “She’s deeply committed to my father, to her job, and to this country. From the looks of it, she got all the family genetics. @CNN continues to be a joke.”
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