For the last few days, ‘journalists’ and their fellow Democrats have focused their attention on Natalie Harp, an aide to President Donald Trump. Last Sunday, Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff implied at a rally that Harp and Trump’s relationship was more than professional. The legacy media took their cue and have since then crafted a false narrative made up of gossip, anonymous sources, and lies. CNN has been among the worst offenders.
The salacious spectacle prompted ex-CNN host Greta Van Susteren to call out her former employer. (READ)
What has happened to CNN? I loved my years there with great journalists….this below - use of anonymous sources in this instance - is just gossip…either do REAL reporting and name the source or stop the gossip pedaling…. pic.twitter.com/rqcJaDLIfG
— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) August 20, 2026
CNN's Kasie Hunt told Haberman she spoke with "one Republican who is relatively close to the White House" and that person "suggested that Melania Trump is upset about it."
Haberman made it clear she doesn't "have reporting on that," but admitted it's certainly "possible."
That’s the excerpt from Yahoo News that Van Susteren was replying to. The ‘relatively close’ unnamed source and the conjecture that followed are not journalism.
Here’s the exchange between CNN’s Kasie Hunt and NYT’s Maggie Haberman as it happens on air. (WATCH)
An example of CNN's "reporting" on the Natalie Harp saga.
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) August 22, 2026
Kasie Hunt: "A Republican" "relatively close to the White House" "suggested" Melania was upset, and that's why they aggressively responded.
Would say CNN has gone full TMZ, but wouldn't want to insult TMZ like that. pic.twitter.com/N2N3MsRTBZ
This whole Natalie Harp story has exposed CNN as an organization that is no longer even bothering to pretend they are interested in the truth.
— Martha Do You Hear Yourself? (@Noregrets2024) August 20, 2026
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They’re getting zero traction with their pathetic Natalie Harp smear.
— IT Guy (@ITGuy1959) August 22, 2026
I would guess most normal people have never heard of Natalie, and the people who have don’t care because there is obviously no “there” there.
Epic failure.
They’re making ‘news’ out of nothing at all. Hmm, wasn’t that a song by Air Supply?
The accusation by Ossoff, based on nothing, now has a ‘journo’ citing a ‘source’ who is ‘relatively close to the White House.’ Is he or she (if they even exist) in the same zip code? What does this even mean? Posters are laughing at the absurdity and anti-journalism aspect of it all.
Got to love her source is “relatively close to the WH.” 🙄
— Wendy Kortepeter (@WKortepeter) August 22, 2026
"one republican who is relatively close to the WH". They must work at a restaurant nearby.
— Russell (@russell_m) August 22, 2026
CNN went from “breaking news” to straight-up gossip column in under 30 seconds.
— Ramzee (@SateleSatele64) August 22, 2026
Anonymous source → Melania is mad → that’s why the White House clapped back.
No receipts, just vibes.
They’re making this up as they go along. It’s ‘journalistic’ Mad Libs.
It’s all in service to a fake narrative that they believe helps their fellow Democrats. It also explains why the legacy media is deservingly circling the drain.
Rather than actual journalism, they’re trying to create drama by gossiping! That’s exactly why no one watches them!
— Lynda Burton (@lynda352622) August 22, 2026
It’s a gossip channel worse than the National Inquirer.
— John Tashiro (@Real1JMT) August 21, 2026
This is "National Enquirer" stuff designed to sell copies in the check-out line at the grocery store.
— D. Bruce Crawford (@BruceD48698) August 21, 2026
“Some people may have said something”
— C.S. Ramza II (@Ramza_2) August 22, 2026
THIS is @CNN
‘I’ve got a feeling this might be true, but I have no proof or named sources, but let's run with it anyway’ is not journalism. But apparently it is what CNN, the New York Times, and the rest of the dying media do now. And because of this, they’re all ’relatively close’ to a well-earned demise.