Ossoff and Collins trade attacks over tariffs, Biden in first Georgia Senate debate
In short
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican Rep. Mike Collins met on Thursday in the first debate of the Georgia Senate race, clashing over Trump's tariffs, Biden-era policies, taxes and consumer prices. Ossoff repeatedly called Collins "the bigot congressman", while Collins called Ossoff a radical "trust-fund kid", according to The Hill and The New York Times.
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Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican Rep. Mike Collins met on Thursday in the first debate of the Georgia Senate race, clashing over tariffs, taxes, immigration and the policies of President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden. NBC News said the hourlong debate was hosted by WANF-TV of Atlanta; The Hill described it as the Atlanta News First debate in Atlanta. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Ossoff repeatedly asked why Collins supported Trump's tariffs, a question NBC News reported Collins never directly answered. "Still have not heard an explanation for the tariffs," Ossoff said. According to Newsweek, Ossoff said he would like to repeal the tariffs, criticised the rising cost of diesel and ground beef, and pointed to the war in Iran as contributing to the price of gasoline. Collins sought to tie Ossoff to votes taken during the Biden administration. "That Bidenomics, that Green New Deal my opponent voted for, that's where this inflation came from," he said. Collins, who voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill, said: "Tax cuts are the answer to keeping more money in people's pockets." NBC News noted that Democrats say the bill disproportionately benefits the wealthy and increased the federal deficit by $1.4 trillion. [ 3 , 5 ]
The Hill reported that the debate quickly turned to personal attacks. Ossoff referred to Collins several times as "the bigot congressman", citing past social media posts, including a 2024 video from the University of Mississippi that Collins shared with the caption "Ole Miss taking care of business." Ossoff also accused Collins of promoting "Neo-Nazi propaganda", pointing to posts by his son-in-law and a former staffer. The New York Times reported that Collins called Ossoff a radical "trust-fund kid." [ 4 , 6 ]
The candidates also took questions on artificial intelligence, border security, rural health care and agriculture, The Hill reported. Newsweek said Collins, asked about affordability, spoke of energy independence and exporting goods through the port of Savannah, and criticised insurance companies. Ossoff called for price transparency and expanding Medicaid, and criticised Collins for voting to allow Affordable Care Act benefits to lapse. [ 4 , 5 ]
Ossoff narrowly won his seat in 2020 in a runoff against David Perdue, by less than 55,000 votes, while Trump, who has backed Collins, flipped the state in the 2024 presidential election against Kamala Harris, Newsweek reported. A Wedgewood Polls survey shows Ossoff ahead by 10 percent, and the Cook Political Report rates the race Likely Democrat. The Hill said Republicans still hope to flip the seat in November. [ 4 , 5 ]
Why it matters
NBC News described the race as nationally consequential and The Hill called it closely watched, with Republicans hoping to flip the seat in November. Ossoff leads in recent polling, and the Cook Political Report rates the race Likely Democrat, according to Newsweek.
Key facts
- Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican Rep. Mike Collins held their first debate in the Georgia Senate race on Thursday. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- NBC News said the hourlong debate was hosted by WANF-TV of Atlanta. [ 3 ]
- Ossoff repeatedly asked Collins to explain his support for Trump's tariffs; NBC News reported Collins never directly answered. [ 3 ]
- Collins blamed inflation on "Bidenomics" and the Green New Deal, which he said Ossoff voted for. [ 3 ]
- Ossoff called Collins "the bigot congressman" several times, pointing to his past social media posts. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Collins called Ossoff a radical "trust-fund kid", The New York Times reported. [ 6 ]
- A Wedgewood Polls survey shows Ossoff leading Collins by 10 percent, and the Cook Political Report rates the race Likely Democrat. [ 5 ]
- Trump has thrown his support behind Collins. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- How Collins responded to Ossoff's accusations about his social media posts and staff. The Hill's account is cut off before Collins's response, and no other document reports it.
- Whether Collins explained his support for the tariffs. Only NBC News addresses this, reporting that he never directly answered the question.
- How the campaigns assessed the debate afterwards. Newsweek said it asked both campaigns for comment; no response is reported.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- NBC News publishes its report on the debate, focusing on Trump- and Biden-era policies. [ 3 ]
- The Hill publishes four takeaways, saying the debate turned personal. [ 4 ]
- Newsweek publishes key moments and polling from the debate. [ 5 ]
- The New York Times publishes key moments, reporting the bigot and "trust-fund kid" exchanges. [ 6 ]