It was debate night in Georgia, but President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden seemed to be onstage.
asserted
Trump → seem → Georgia
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican Rep. Mike Collins squared off Thursday in the first debate in this nationally consequential Senate race, with both trying to hit the other for policies implemented by the current and former presidents.
asserted
both → square → presidents
Ossoff repeatedly asked why Collins supported tariffs that have been a key factor in the rise in the cost of consumer goods that has kept Trump’s approval ratings at historically low levels, a question Collins never directly answered.
“Still have not heard an explanation for the tariffs,” Ossoff said after having already asked about Trump’s tariff regime several times.
asserted
Ossoff → ask → regime
Collins spent the hourlong debate, hosted by WANF-TV of Atlanta, not directly answering questions about the unpopular war in Iran or Trump’s economy but rather trying to saddle Ossoff with votes he took during the Biden administration to make the case that Biden is the reason for the current state of inflation and high prices.
asserted
Biden → spend → inflation
“That Bidenomics, that Green New Deal my opponent voted for, that’s where this inflation came from,” Collins said.
asserted
Collins → vote → where
The debate was broken up into four segments, but each was dominated in some form by the economy and consumer prices, topics that an NBC News poll showed are the most important issues on voters’ minds in the lead-up to Election Day.
asserted
poll → break → Day
Collins voted to support the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, the biggest legislative achievement of Trump’s second term.
asserted
Collins → vote → term
The bill included provisions including no taxes on tips for hospitality workers and Social Security, which are regular midterm talking points for Republicans.
asserted
which → include → Republicans
But Democrats have consistently highlighted how the sweeping tax proposal disproportionately benefits the wealthy and increased the federal deficit by $1.4 trillion.
asserted
proposal → highlight → trillion
“Tax cuts are the answer to keeping more money in people’s pockets,” Collins said.
asserted
Collins → keep → pockets
“That creates ... more tax-paying people, and businesses grow.”
asserted
businesses → create → people
As Trump’s approval rating has tanked, helping Democrats overcome the GOP’s huge national financial advantage, Republican candidates across the country have distanced themselves from him on key policies ranging from tariffs to the war in Iran.
asserted
candidates → tank → Iran
Collins, however, has not been among them, keeping his place as one of Trump’s staunchest allies in key midterm Senate races.
asserted
Collins → keep → races
Ossoff pressed Collins several times about why he supports Trump policies on the economy and foreign affairs.
asserted
he → press → economy
He did say Trump’s tariffs make things “fair” in the context of trade with China and helping Georgia’s ports, which are key to the state’s economy.
asserted
which → say → economy
“Savannah port and Brunswick port have been on my mind,” he said, without offering specifics about how the tariffs have helped them.
asserted
tariffs → say → them
Pressed about the Iran war, which is increasingly unpopular, Collins defended Trump’s decision to begin bombing raids with Israel in February.
asserted
Collins → press → February
“The president had every right to make sure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.
asserted
Iran → have → weapon
Jon Ossoff knows this,” he said.
asserted
he → know → this
Ossoff has also regularly attacked Collins for continuing to support Trump’s insistence, without proof, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, an issue that also took center stage during the debate.
asserted
that → attack → debate
“Mike Collins and Donald Trump, they are still obsessed with overturning the 2020 election,” Ossoff said.
asserted
Ossoff → obsess → election
Collins did not back down from the idea the 2020 election was stolen but focused on GOP election measures and saying Ossoff opposes the SAVE Act, a Trump-backed bill that, among other things, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
asserted
that → back → citizenship
“Voters need confidence,” Collins said.
asserted
Collins → need → confidence
“We live in the best country in the world, and no reason we should not have the most secure elections in the world
asserted
we → live → world
The bill has been passed in the House, but it has not had enough support in the GOP-led Senate.
asserted
it → pass → Senate
Each candidate also tried to frame the other as scandal-plagued.
asserted
candidate → try → other
Ossoff hit Collins over a series of social media posts in which his son-in-law promoted white nationalist posts.
asserted
law → hit → posts
“Imagine running for the U.S. Senate while neo-Nazi propaganda is disseminated to an audience of millions from your house,” Ossoff said.
asserted
Ossoff → imagine → house
Collins said he does not support racism or antisemitism, and he said he has told his family that.
asserted
he → say → that
“I don’t care where the source is, and I tell him that,” Collins said of his son-in-law.
asserted
Collins → care → law
In contrast, Collins said billionaire Reid Hoffman, whose name appeared in the Epstein files, is an Ossoff donor.
asserted
name → say → files
“Billionaire Reid Hoffman, also one of Epstein’s buddies out there, has funneled money into his campaign,” Collins said.
asserted
Collins → funnel → campaign
Authorities have not accused Hoffman of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
asserted
Authorities → accuse → Epstein
Hoffman has said he regrets having associated with Epstein.
asserted
he → say → Epstein
Ossoff has been the subject of significant national speculation about whether he wants to run for president in 2028, which he has said he has “no interest” in, but that has not kept him off early shortlists.
asserted
that → want → shortlists
That idea is bolstered by the fact that $50 million of the more than $100 million he has raised is from so-called small-dollar donors, which are relatively small contributions typically raised through email and other digital means from supporters across the country.
asserted
which → bolster → country
An ability to digitally raise money at that clip is generally a sign of a candidate’s national name identification and support among the party’s most intense base voters, who often play an outsize role in helping choose presidential nominees.
asserted
who → raise → nominees
Collins has raised more than $7 million for his campaign, according to the most recent campaign finance reports, and he has gotten his biggest boost, $25 million, from the Senate Leadership Fund, a national group that supports GOP Senate candidates.
uncertain
that → raise → candidates
At the beginning of the 2026 midterm cycle, the Georgia contest was seen as likely to be one of the closest in the country and a key component for Republicans as they try to hold on to their slim majority in the Senate.
asserted
they → see → Senate
The race, however, has slowly trended Ossoff’s way.
asserted
race → trend → way
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
