Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) said Wednesday that many Republicans in his state would rather see President Trump stay away from the campaign trail, even as the president prepares to headline a rally in Dalton on Friday.
“I know for a fact, because I talked to some of the Republican officeholders, folks here in Georgia, Georgia Republicans do not want the president to come,” Ossoff told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on “All In.”
Ossoff, who is seeking a second term, singled out his likely GOP opponent, Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), as the lone exception. “My Trump puppet opponent, the bigot Congressman Mike Collins, is probably the only Republican in Georgia who actually wants Donald Trump to come,” he said.
The senator argued that the president’s policies are hurting him in the Peach State. “The president’s deeply unpopular here. The war is unpopular. The tariffs are unpopular. The healthcare cuts and doubled health insurance premiums are deeply unpopular,” Ossoff said.
Still, he struck a defiant tone, adding, “If the president wants to come to Georgia right now, that’s OK with me.”
Trump’s visit comes as he faces a politically turbulent stretch, with his approval rating mired in the high 30s. According to Decision Desk HQ’s polling average, Trump’s approval stood at 38.7% on Thursday morning, while 59.4% disapproved.
The ongoing military conflict with Iran has driven up energy costs, with the Strait of Hormuz—a critical oil shipping lane—closed amid the fighting. AAA data showed the average U.S. gasoline price at about $4.33 per gallon on Thursday, up from roughly $3.07 a year earlier.
Ossoff’s comments underscore the delicate balance for Republicans in Georgia, a state that has become increasingly competitive in recent cycles. His campaign has already clashed with Collins in a series of heated exchanges, and the senator has sought to tie his opponent to the president’s more controversial positions.
The Hill has reached out to Collins’s campaign and the White House for comment.
