Jon Ossoff on The Rachel Maddow Show — Full Interview — 04.20.2026

[0:00] Corruption always comes with a cost. [0:03] In politics, at the highest levels of government, [0:06] corruption comes with a high cost for ordinary people. [0:10] And if the party in power is corrupt, [0:13] part of the cost of corruption for them [0:17] ought to be their political opponents making them pay for it. [0:21] Because corruption at high levels of government, [0:23] corruption at all levels of government, [0:26] is inherently repulsive to the American people. [0:30] And it is something they are happy to put front of mind [0:32] when they turn out to vote. [0:34] That is part of the argument right now [0:36] in the great state of Georgia on the Democratic side [0:38] of a crucial election for the United States Senate. [0:44] The faithless president depicts himself as Christ [0:51] while he plunges the nation into wars of choice, [0:56] while he and his family rake in billions from foreign princes, [1:03] while he plunders our health care to cut taxes for the rich. [1:11] Meanwhile, rent, power, groceries, and health care [1:16] have all hit all-time highs this year, this year. [1:23] Ground beefs up 20% since Trump took office, [1:28] coffee 40%, health premiums through the roof. [1:32] And remember, while you pay more for everything, [1:37] the first family's wealth is growing by billions of dollars, [1:45] because they're crooks and everybody knows it. [1:54] That's incumbent U.S. Senator John Ossoff of Georgia [1:58] is going for it this weekend in Augusta. [2:01] He said the president and his family [2:03] are raking in billions of dollars from foreign princes [2:06] while you pay more for rent, power, health care, [2:08] ground beef, coffee. [2:10] The first family's wealth is growing by billions of dollars. [2:13] Senator Ossoff this weekend saying, quote, [2:15] never before have we seen so little effort to hide so much corruption. [2:20] The Mar-a-Lago mafia has taken American corruption [2:24] to spectacular new heights. [2:27] Joining us now live is Senator John Ossoff, Democrat of Georgia, [2:30] a candidate for reelection in November. [2:33] Senator, it's nice to see you. [2:34] Thanks for making time to be here with us tonight. [2:36] SENATOR JOHN OSSOFF, Democrat of Georgia, [2:37] Thank you, Rachel. Good to see you. [2:39] I wanted to talk to you about this [2:40] once I saw this speech of yours this weekend, [2:42] because I've been thinking a lot about the always [2:46] and every time relationship between authoritarian leaders [2:50] and corruption and how that corruption translates [2:55] to regular people, how regular people understand the stakes of that, [2:58] what it means for their own lives, [3:00] what it means for their own economic prospects. [3:02] What are you trying to explain to your constituents [3:05] in this speech this weekend and in general [3:07] about the relationship between corruption [3:10] and their own lives, their own prospects? [3:15] I think people across the political spectrum [3:17] are feeling outrage that while families in Georgia [3:23] are made to pay more and more for everything, [3:27] the first family is pocketing vast sums of money [3:34] from all over the world. [3:36] You were talking earlier about Jared Kushner. [3:38] The guy leading our diplomacy in the Middle East [3:41] is bringing in billions from Middle Eastern princes and sheikhs [3:45] and going around the region asking for billions more [3:49] while he conducts nuclear diplomacy on behalf of the country. [3:53] It's cartoonish. It's grotesque. It's obscene. [3:57] And I'm hearing not just from Democrats, [4:00] but from independents and Republicans, [4:02] that they are excited and motivated more than ever [4:07] to impose checks and balances in these midterm elections. [4:11] But I want to warn people against complacency. [4:13] This is Georgia. [4:14] This is the most competitive battleground state in the country. [4:17] I am the only Democrat running for reelection [4:20] in a state that Donald Trump won. [4:21] And something that folks aren't paying enough attention to [4:24] is national Republicans have vastly more resources [4:28] than national Democrats right now. [4:29] I expect the GOP to come in [4:32] with hundreds of millions of dollars against me. [4:35] And I'm asking folks across the country to take nothing for granted, [4:38] to go to electjonelectjon.com [4:42] and support my campaign right now. [4:45] If Democrats could take control of the U.S. Senate, [4:49] if you're reelected, [4:50] if Democrats hold all of their other contested seats, [4:52] if they're able to pick off some Republican seats [4:55] and take control of the U.S. Senate, [4:57] Donald Trump will still be president. [4:59] Jared Kushner will still be whatever he is. [5:01] What sort of difference could it make in Washington [5:04] to have Democratic control of the Senate? [5:08] Well, with command of Senate committees, [5:11] with subpoena power, [5:14] imagine Secretary Pete Hegseth, [5:19] if he remains secretary that long, [5:21] or former Secretary Hegseth, I suspect at that point, [5:25] will have to come and testify under oath [5:28] about reports that his stockbroker [5:31] was calling around trying to buy him defense stocks [5:34] just days before the Iran war broke out. [5:38] Jared Kushner will have to come and testify under oath [5:42] or be deposed under oath [5:44] about the billions of dollars of business [5:48] he was trying to do in the Middle East [5:50] while he engaged in diplomacy in the region [5:52] on behalf of the United States. [5:54] We will be able to investigate this corruption [5:58] and these grotesque conflicts of interest [6:00] with the power of the United States Senate. [6:03] And that will both deter corruption [6:05] while we have that power in the Senate [6:08] and allow us to impose accountability. [6:09] Let me ask you about something that's been happening in Georgia [6:13] that's having both really practical and moral consequences, [6:17] but also seeming to have some political ripples now, too. [6:20] And that is the Trump administration's effort [6:21] to put two Trump prison camps [6:24] in two different warehouse facilities [6:27] in two communities in Georgia. [6:30] MSNOW just did a bunch of reporting [6:32] in Social Circle Georgia, [6:33] in one of those towns where Mike Collins is their congressman, [6:36] a Republican who wants to challenge you for your Senate seat. [6:38] Locals saying they're very frustrated [6:41] that Mike Collins has not helped them [6:42] as they're trying to stop this thing. [6:45] What have you done to help the communities in your state [6:49] that are trying to fend off these facilities, [6:51] who say that these massive Trump prison camps [6:55] are both unsustainable and deeply unwanted [6:58] in their communities? [7:01] Well, Mayor Keener over in Social Circle [7:04] sent me a text message a few months back [7:06] expressing his concern and the concern of the community. [7:09] And Senator Warnock and I leapt into action [7:11] demanding transparency from the Department of Homeland Security [7:15] and the Trump administration, [7:16] insisting that they brief local officials. [7:18] The commission is dead set against it. [7:21] The city is dead set against it. [7:23] They don't have the water and power infrastructure [7:25] to accommodate this. [7:26] The administration wants to put this massive prison camp [7:29] in a warehouse just down the street from a school. [7:32] They've done no local consultation. [7:34] They've kept everyone in the dark [7:35] and the community is up in arms about it. [7:40] Senator John Ossoff, Democratic Georgia. [7:42] Thank you very much for talking to us tonight. [7:44] It's good to have you here. [7:46] Thank you, Rachel. [7:47] All right, we got much more news ahead here tonight. [7:49] Stay with us. [7:49] Thank you. [7:50] Thank you, Rachel. [7:50] Stay with us. [7:51] Thank you. [7:51] Thank you, Rachel. [7:52] Thank you, Rachel. [7:52] Everyone happy friends with you. [7:52] Stay with us. [7:53] Stay with you.