Fox News host Jesse Watters said President Donald Trump has said “so much more sleazy things” than a recent quip by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) [1, 3].
The exchange highlights the ongoing tension between high-profile media figures and political opponents regarding the conduct and public image of the U.S. president.
Watters made the comments during a broadcast of “The Five” from the network's New York City studio [1, 2]. He was responding to criticism from Ossoff regarding White House executive assistant Natalie Harp and the suggestion that Trump surrounds himself with attractive women [1, 2].
Watters said he was not “fazed” by the jab [5]. He said the criticism did not bother him because of the nature of the president's own past remarks [5, 6].
“To suggest that Trump surrounds himself with attractive women — yeah, I think he’s done that his whole life,” Watters said [1].
Watters said the specific comment made by Ossoff was not particularly shocking given the president's history. He said Trump has said far more sleazy things than the comment in question [2, 3].
The discussion centered on whether the senator's remarks about the White House aide were an appropriate critique or a distraction from policy matters. Watters said the jab lacked impact because the president's own rhetoric has historically been more provocative [2, 5].
“"He’s said so much more sleazy things than that."”
This interaction illustrates a rare moment where a prominent Fox News host acknowledges the 'sleazy' nature of President Trump's rhetoric, though he does so to neutralize a political attack. By framing the president's history of provocative language as a baseline, Watters attempts to render Senator Ossoff's criticisms irrelevant rather than defending the behavior itself.
