Georgia US Senate Debate — Jon Ossoff, Mike Collins take stage

[3:30] The battle for control of Congress takes center stage in Georgia. [3:34] Incumbent Democrat John Ossoff fighting to hold on to his seat in the U.S. Senate [3:40] as Trump-backed Congressman Mike Collins works to widen the GOP majority in Washington. [3:45] Thank you. God bless Georgia and the United States of America. [3:49] With just days until the polls open across Georgia, candidates move from brutal attack ads... [3:54] I couldn't talk all day and never deliver, but that's what John Ossoff does. [3:58] ...and stinging stump speeches. [4:00] Now the bigot wants a promotion, but this year will end his political career instead. [4:06] To a face-to-face matchup, debate night starts right now. [4:10] From Atlanta News First, this is a special edition of On the Record, debate night live. [4:20] Well, good evening, everyone. [4:21] Tonight, candidates at the top of the ticket in Georgia are ready to battle it out on stage. [4:26] The race for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat is our focus tonight, [4:29] just a few days before early voting starts in the 2026 midterm elections. [4:34] Good evening. [4:34] It's debate night once again here in Georgia. [4:37] I'm Doug Reardon. [4:37] Thank you so much for being with us. [4:39] We are broadcasting to you live from beautiful Assembly Studios in Doraville, [4:42] where the stage is now set for Georgia's first U.S. Senate debate. [4:46] Incumbent Democrat John Ossoff is fighting to fend off Republican challenger Congressman Mike Collins. [4:51] Let's meet our candidates tonight. [4:53] On the Democratic side of the ticket, it's Senator John Ossoff. [4:56] The youngest incumbent U.S. Senator is wrapping up his first six-year term in Washington. [5:01] A native of Metro Atlanta, Ossoff was first elected to the Senate in 2021, [5:06] beating out then-Georgia Senator David Perdue. [5:08] He has a background as a legislative staffer and as an investigative documentary maker. [5:13] Senator Ossoff has passed bills bolstering Georgia's foster care system [5:16] and expanding the scope of medical treatments that have to be covered by insurance. [5:20] Ossoff is the only incumbent Democrat up for re-election in a state that Donald Trump won in 2024. [5:27] Ossoff's opponent, Congressman Mike Collins, is nearing the end of his second term in the U.S. House, [5:32] representing Georgia's 10th congressional district. [5:34] Born and raised in Jackson, Georgia, he's the son of former Georgia Congressman Matt Collins. [5:39] Mike Collins is also the founder and the president of Collins Trucking, [5:42] a logistics company based in his home district. [5:45] Collins has passed legislation under both President Biden and President Donald Trump, [5:49] including the landmark law named for slaying Georgia student Lakin Riley. [5:54] That law strengthens coordination between federal and local police on immigration. [5:58] It was the first bill President Trump signed in his second term. [6:02] Now, this race between Collins and Ossoff is a critical one, [6:05] as Republicans work to keep control of Congress's upper chamber. [6:08] There's the balance of power right now. [6:10] Democrats also working to claw back some power from the GOP. [6:13] So, joining us now to talk about it is our wonderful panel tonight. [6:17] All the way down to my right, Corey Ruth, GOP political advisor and CEO of Mergence Global. [6:22] Keisha Carter is a Democratic political fundraiser and principal of Public Service Partners. [6:27] And then to my left, political science professor and Atlanta News First political analyst, [6:31] Dr. Ben Taylor, and also WABE politics reporter, Raul Bally. [6:35] Thank you all for being on the record with us. [6:38] Lots to cover here. [6:38] We have really been anticipating this for quite a while. [6:42] Ben, I want to start with you. [6:43] This is a weird situation, I think. [6:45] This is a state that President Donald Trump won, I would say, handily in 2024. [6:48] But we see Jon Ossoff with a bigger lead here in 2026. [6:52] So, what in the world does that say about Georgia voters? [6:54] Well, President Trump, you know, did win Georgia, but it was a small margin. [6:57] And I think that what this is indicative of is that Georgia has a lot of, [7:01] a large pocket of undecided voters that swing from election to election. [7:05] And I also think it means that candidate quality matters. [7:07] So, I think that both of these candidates are trying to present themselves to these undecided [7:10] voters in ways that appeal to them. [7:12] And also, and this is really important in 2026, the environment matters. [7:16] The environment in 2024 was very good for President Trump at the time, at the time, [7:19] candidate Trump. [7:20] And now it's really good for the Democrats generally, if, you know, the national mood. [7:24] We'll see if Georgia follows the trend or if it bucks the trend. [7:26] Certainly. [7:27] And we know that Collins is behind in polling than this. [7:29] A couple of days ago, before we got going with this debate series, we heard from GOP chairman [7:34] here in Georgia, Josh McCoon, who kind of told us what their plan was to get people [7:38] into the voting booth. [7:39] He says they have the numbers. [7:40] Take a listen. [7:43] We were very successful in 2024 in taking voters that had not voted in eight years, [7:48] but they were for President Trump. [7:50] And we got them out to go vote in historic numbers. [7:52] We've got hundreds of thousands of voters that voted for Donald Trump in 2024 that have [7:56] never voted in a midterm election. [7:58] And at the Georgia Republican Party, we are laser focused on getting those people off the couch [8:02] and in the voting booth. [8:07] All right, Corey. [8:07] So the chairman says it's all about voter turnout on a good day. [8:11] Would that be enough, you think, to make up this polling pit that we've seen Collins [8:14] really kind of just staying in the entire general cycle? [8:18] Well, absolutely. [8:19] Since 2010, the party that wins the primary turnout wins the general election. [8:24] There's one exception. [8:25] In 2022, Herschel Walker lost the runoff in the general election against Raphael Warnock, [8:34] even though the Republicans won the primary turnout. [8:37] But the base of the Republican Party was large enough that it was able to push him into a [8:43] runoff against a popular incumbent. [8:45] So the party's base is large enough, certainly larger than the Democratic base, that a good [8:51] turnout could push him into some good places. [8:53] And now's the time to really be pushing voters to make sure they have a plan to do that. [8:57] Keisha, of course, Senator Ossoff is an incumbent in this role. [9:00] You know, Congressman Collins certainly is a member of Congress, but Senator Ossoff holds [9:06] this seat right now. [9:07] As you're going around talking to voters and, of course, doing your thing, fundraising, [9:11] what are you telling people about Senator Ossoff's record? [9:13] Is there maybe one policy one you could point to that you think stands on its own enough [9:17] that people should be voting for him? [9:19] I think one of the best things about Senator Ossoff is that he has been a master of service [9:24] since he has been a senator, with what he's been able to deliver for Georgia, with bringing [9:29] real ROI to South Georgia, Middle Georgia. [9:31] He said from the beginning when he first ran that he was going to bring home the resources [9:36] that we need. [9:37] And it's shown by when you're seeing Tifton mayors and Republican mayors across the state [9:42] actually stand up and say, we are going to back John Ossoff because of what he's done. [9:45] And I think being someone that's service-first is really important, and I think that's the [9:51] most important policy piece that Ossoff has been able to do and continues to do, which [9:55] I think is why he's so far ahead in this race. [9:57] Yeah, and, you know, Raul, we, both of us, have covered our fair share of campaign events [10:02] throughout this cycle for both of these gentlemen. [10:05] There's been a lot of controversy, no love lost, really, between these two candidates [10:08] in this seat. [10:10] There have been attacks from the Ossoff camp hurled at the Collins campaign about connections [10:14] to white supremacy, even coming from within his own family. [10:17] There have been attacks from the Collins campaign about Ossoff's desires to perhaps run for [10:21] president, using this seat as a stepping stone. [10:24] Do you think that these types of things, in this race in particular, are actually resonating [10:28] with voters? [10:29] Because sometimes attacks can fall flat, they can fall short, but it seems to be quite a [10:33] prominent part of this race. [10:34] Let's talk about the attacks aimed at Congressman Collins and two groups of voters. [10:38] Let's start with Republicans. [10:40] There's a small group of Republican voters that I have talked to that have concerns about [10:45] voting for Mike Collins, very similar to what you saw with Herschel Walker. [10:49] And then there are independent voters. [10:51] This gives them another reason possibly not to vote for Mike Collins. [10:56] In the big picture of things, when we're talking about how fine these margins are, that if these [11:01] races are this close, I'm trying to figure out, is what are we going to see this time that [11:06] we've seen in the past? Is it voters skipping, maybe voting in one of the two top, in the [11:12] governor's race or the Senate race, and then skip another race over candidate quality? [11:16] Or are they going to cross over? Or will they just stay on the same side of the ballot? [11:21] That's what I'm trying to figure out when I'm talking to people. [11:24] Is it skipping, crossing over, or just staying on the same side of the ballot? [11:29] Well, all very dangerous things, Corey, for Mike Collins, if he wants to win this seat. [11:33] How much of this outside, these outside factors, things outside of policy for Congressman Mike [11:40] Collins, do you think are resonating with voters? And do you think he's done enough to combat that, [11:44] especially outside of that Republican base that we pretty much already knew is going to vote for him? [11:48] I actually think we're living in a post-scandal environment when it comes to politics. [11:53] When you start seeing some of the things that politicians are getting away with these days that [11:57] would have been disqualifying in the past. So I don't know if that'll be the past that wins the [12:03] game for John Ossoff to focus on, you know, personal scandal and personal intrigue. And I think [12:10] there's a desensitization that has happened with the American public, maybe because we watched too [12:15] much House of Cards. But I just don't think that that's it. And I think that maybe the fact that [12:22] Democrats out turned out, turned out in higher numbers in the primary. So there's, there'll be [12:29] a primary challenge that Congressman Collins has. And I also think that he's obviously being outspent. [12:37] That might be a challenge, but I don't think the personal things will bother him. [12:41] Yeah, I'll push back. You can't watch too much House of Cards. [12:44] But, but Keisha, there have been certainly plenty of attacks coming from the Collins camp. One of them [12:52] has been Senator Ossoff using this job as a stepping stone to potentially set up a presidential run as [12:58] early as 2028. Now we've, we've asked Senator Ossoff multiple times. You've asked Senator Ossoff. I've [13:03] asked Senator Ossoff. If that is in his cards, he says no. Do you think that's a promise that he needs [13:09] to keep? If he wins reelection and then goes and runs for president in 2028, with people having voted to [13:14] keep him in the seat. Do you think that's a bad call? No, not at all. I think that voters care [13:18] about kitchen table issues and who's going to deliver for them. And I think that Senator Ossoff [13:23] has continued to do that. I think one of the highest honors you can get is that, hey, I've delivered [13:27] for Georgia. You all have reelected me. And after reelecting him, if after that, if he's like, I want [13:32] to run for president, Georgia voters are going to be happy about it. So I don't think that's a big issue [13:36] right now. That's not what we're hearing about. We're caring about right now in 2026, making sure that he gets [13:41] back to the Senate. All right, panel. Thank you. Don't go anywhere. That is our backdrop for [13:45] tonight. When we come back, we're going to talk policy. We are just getting started here at [13:49] Assembly Studios. John Ossoff and Mike Collins, minutes away now from taking the debate stage. [13:54] Debate Night Live continues next. Well, welcome back. It's debate night once again here in Georgia. [17:16] Democrat John Ossoff and Republican Mike Collins are now preparing to face off on the debate stage [17:21] right here at Assembly Studios in Doraville. We are counting down to the minute when the debate begins. [17:26] But before we get started, we want to give you a look at the rules so you know what's going on [17:30] tonight. If you joined us on Tuesday night, you saw voters asking the questions. It's going to be a [17:35] little different tonight. Tonight, we're getting back to the basics with journalists asking the [17:39] questions to these candidates. We've gathered anchors and reporters from across Georgia to do that. [17:44] From Savannah, WTOC anchor Mike Selah. From Columbus, Georgia, WTVM anchor Rosalie Giles. [17:51] And friend of the show, Atlanta News First statewide reporter Abby Casores will be up there. [17:55] From Telemundo, Atlanta, anchor Adhemar Montagna. And all the way from Albany, Mariah Norman, [18:00] a reporter from WALB. We also have WRDW anchor and investigative reporter Will Rio from Augusta. [18:07] They will all be in the debate hall tonight. Right now, they're fine-tuning their questions. [18:11] They've prepared for John Ossoff and Mike Collins. Panelists will have about 30 seconds to ask those [18:16] questions. Candidates will then be given 60 seconds to answer them. 30 seconds will be allowed for rebuttals [18:22] at the moderator's discretion. That's going to be up to Rick tonight. And each candidate will begin [18:26] with a 60-second opening and end with a closing 60-second statement. Raul, we know the economy is [18:33] the number one thing on people's minds tonight. So whatever happens up there and whoever wins this [18:36] seat in this November election, what do you think they owe the people of Georgia when they get to [18:41] the Capitol? Because all we hear about, we don't need polling to tell us that people are concerned [18:46] about their pocketbooks right now. Before we get to what they can do, what is Congress going to look [18:53] like? How Republican or Democrat is the House and Senate? And then how willing is the president going [18:59] to work with whatever he's going to be working with in Congress? Obviously, gas prices. One of the [19:06] things that you've heard is the idea of maybe suspending the federal gas tax. That may be one [19:11] of the things that's out there. Other areas where there's tax. But then you have the challenge of [19:16] balancing, you know, the federal budget. So there's going to be, I think, see, there are going to be [19:21] small things like, you know, taxes, sales tax, I mean, not sales taxes, gas taxes. But they may look at [19:28] some bigger things. The question is, who's the president going to work with? Right. And again, to your point, [19:33] what is that balance of power? Ben, Collins has aligned himself very closely with President [19:38] Donald Trump. I think anyone who's watching Tuesday knows that Rick Jackson also did the same thing. [19:43] But we didn't hear much about President Donald Trump during Tuesday night's debate. Those approval [19:48] ratings are low. Is this a good thing for Collins to be doing right now? Well, the bottom line is that [19:53] midterm elections have for decades been referendums on the president. And for many decades also, you know, [19:59] we had this saying in American politics that all politics was local. And so that you could, if you were a [20:03] member of the president's party, sort of fight against that national tide and keep your seat, if you were a [20:07] Democrat and there was a Democratic president, maybe you could fight against that. That's less the case today. [20:12] All politics is really national now. And the problem for people like running these primaries that have to run [20:17] really extreme primaries, like Mike Collins had really heavy challengers, you have to run to the more extreme [20:22] version of your party, which means it's more difficult to come back to the center. So Congressman Collins has a real [20:26] challenge there. But to the large point, though, I think Congressman Collins embraces this in a way. [20:30] And so it's really about, you know, Josh McCoon was saying base turnout as part of it. But in Georgia, you've got to win [20:36] undecided and moderate voters. And that's a tough sell when you've hugged so closely to a president who is [20:41] historically unpopular. [20:43] Yeah. And Corey, we know that even President Trump has gotten out there and said, pretend like I'm on the ballot. [20:48] Well, that was before these approval ratings came out earlier this week. I want your take on this because you're here [20:53] representing the GOP side of things with the with the way things are in D.C. right now at the White House. [20:58] What do you think about Collins really closely tying himself to President Donald Trump throughout this entire campaign cycle? [21:05] I mean, President Trump routinely carries low approval ratings and they haven't affected him in winning the two out of the last three [21:14] elections at the presidential level. They haven't affected him being able to carry a Republican House and a Republican Senate. [21:20] And they also haven't affected him in his ability to endorse people who win their races and competitive races. [21:27] And so I think embracing your president, regardless of who that is, you know, when Obama was president, you had some Democrats [21:35] who didn't want to show up when he was arriving in the state because maybe his approval ratings were lower, which is always the case in the [21:42] midterms. The president has lower than normal approval ratings. I always think that's a mistake. Like you are a Democrat or you are a [21:49] Republican. That is your president. Embrace that person and lean forward because at the end of the day, him getting more base people [21:57] out is what's going to win him this election. Yeah, just like we heard from Chairman McCoon earlier. I think I think that's kind of the name of the game. [22:03] And, you know, there is one area where Congressman Collins has really picked away at Senator Ossoff, and that's on his Israel policy. [22:11] Of course, Ossoff is Jewish. He has been in the Senate now for a full term. And he's had a bit of a muddled voting record, I think, on Israel policy. He has [22:19] voted ceremoniously on certain things. He has voted against certain weapons deals. And we've seen it among Jewish voters here in Georgia that there is [22:29] really some concern among that block about how Senator Ossoff is going to carry Israel policy if he's elected to a second term. Is that a tough one for him? [22:37] I think it's tough. But one of the things that you have to appreciate about Senator Ossoff is that I think he's done actually a really good job of the nuance of the situation in the Middle East, [22:48] understanding that we need to provide funding and support for an ally while also managing a humanitarian crisis at the same time and dealing with all of what comes with that. [22:58] I don't think there is a perfect answer. I don't think there's a perfect senator that's been perfect on these on these issues. But I think even bigger than that, I think the Senate [23:08] Senator is going to be fine because it's better to be what he is doing than to be surrounded with white nationalists, anti-Semitism that we see this coming out of the Collins camp every other day. [23:18] So I think when it comes down to voters, even for Jewish voters, if you look at the two, I think they're going to choose Senator Ossoff over a Mike Collins circus any day. [23:26] Well, let's talk health care real quick. Corey, back to you. These candidates have made that kind of a central part of their campaign between rural hospitals and of course Medicaid and what to do about people skyrocketing premiums. [23:36] Certainly Collins, we know, has encouraged people to move off of these government funded systems like Medicaid and get on to employer based plans if they can. [23:44] But we talk about a lot of the people in the gap who don't make enough to get on that private insurance or maybe don't have it through their job and make too much to be on Medicaid. [23:54] What do you see as his vision for people who are, as we say, in the gap for health care? [23:59] Well, I think his focus has primarily been on providing funding for rural hospitals that are struggling right now. [24:07] And, you know, his base is certainly in that rural area. [24:10] But it's important to note about Medicaid that, you know, it covers a lot of people. [24:17] The folks that we're talking about expanding the Medicaid to cover are people who are transitional. [24:22] So these are people who are in and out of poverty and middle class. [24:27] And so they move a lot. And so it's very difficult and complex. [24:31] This is why our country hasn't figured out a way to do it yet. [24:34] And so I think his focus has been, hey, how many of these people can we transition into stable career paths so that they're getting employee employer insurance rather than depending on Medicaid? [24:48] Yeah. And we've heard that from them time and time again. And I think a convenient attack, Keisha, for Senator Ossoff has been the big, beautiful bill getting rid of these ACA subsidies. [24:57] You know, about a half a million Georgians more than ended up losing their coverage because of that. [25:01] So the numbers say. But listen, premiums were already high before that. [25:05] And Senator Ossoff has had a term now in this seat. [25:08] So besides just kind of attacking Collins over those ACA subsidies that were lost, [25:13] what does Senator Ossoff have to do in a second term to go out there and lower these premiums for people? [25:18] Yeah, well, I think I think we're forgetting what Senator Ossoff has already done. [25:21] I mean, he's already worked on capping insulin for seniors, which was a huge win for us. [25:28] And I think we have to we can't just hope that premiums are going to come down. [25:31] I mean, I think that's insane. I know my premium skyrocketed after the ACA subsidies. [25:35] So, yeah, they were high, but they went a lot higher after that. [25:38] And so that's something that voters have to remember that Collins was a part of. [25:42] And he's attached himself to that multiple times by saying, I have 100 percent voting record with Trump. [25:47] So we want him to keep holding on to that. [25:49] And we want voters to remember that. [25:51] And that's not OK. [25:52] And we want someone that's going to invest in actually doing some action to bringing those premiums down, [25:59] not just having a hope as a plan. [26:01] All right. We are minutes away from our main event here. [26:03] Stay with us. We'll be right back after this break. [26:05] And Debate Night Live is back right now. [29:25] The coin toss to decide which candidate will deliver the first opening statement when the debate gets underway. [29:30] Heads is Senator Ossoff. Tails is Congressman Collins. [29:36] Depending on who wins, you get to choose either to be the first opening statement or to have the final closing statement. [29:42] OK, it's tails. Congressman Collins wins the coin toss. [29:50] Do you want to start or end? [29:52] We'll close. [29:53] You'll close. OK, great. [29:54] Senator Ossoff has the first opening statement. [29:56] Thank you both. We'll have a great debate. [29:59] All right. Well, there you have it. [30:03] John Ossoff set to deliver the first opening statement when that debate gets underway right after this. [30:08] Don't forget to stay tuned after the debate ends. [30:10] We'll break down the biggest moments right here when On The Record Debate Night Live continues at 8 p.m. [30:15] This is Debate Night Live, the race for Senate, hosted by Gray Media and Atlanta News First. [33:39] Tonight, with just days until the polls open across Georgia, the first meeting of the two candidates at the top of the ballot in Georgia, Democratic Senator John Ossoff and Republican Congressman Mike Collins. [33:55] We're broadcasting live across the state from Gray Media-owned Assembly Studios in Doraville, DeKalb County. [34:02] Good evening. I'm Rick Fulbaum, moderator of tonight's U.S. Senate debate. [34:07] The questions asked during tonight's debate will come from a panel of Gray Media journalists representing every region across Georgia. [34:15] Tonight's broadcast will run 60 minutes with four segments, each about 15 minutes. [34:20] In order to have a thoughtful and civil debate, these are the rules that both campaigns have agreed to. [34:25] Panelists will ask their questions to one or both candidates. [34:29] The candidates will be given 60 seconds to answer, with 30 seconds allowed for rebuttals at my discretion. [34:35] We'll begin with a 60-second opening statement, and we'll end with a 60-second closing statement from each candidate. [34:42] To read the complete debate rules, go to AtlantaNewsFirst.com slash debate, and I will be here to enforce the rules tonight. [34:49] We begin with opening statements from each of the candidates. [34:52] We held a coin toss prior to the debate to decide who would go first. [34:55] Congressman Collins won the toss and elected to have the final word tonight. [34:59] Senator Ossoff, will you begin your opening statement? [35:02] Well, Rick, thank you so much for bringing us together. [35:05] Thanks to Gray Media and Congressman. Good to be here with you. [35:08] Democrats, independents, and Republicans are uniting behind my Senate campaign, just like we united Georgians to cap the cost of insulin at $35. [35:19] To take on big tech companies and force them to report online predators who target our kids. [35:26] And tonight, a united Georgia will hear the trial of Mike Collins. [35:32] Mike Collins has brought dishonor to our state through his personal bigotry and his widely documented ties to white nationalists. [35:42] And he's sold out Georgia in his pathetic, childlike devotion to Donald Trump, voting for the tariffs that have sent groceries soaring, voting for the health care cuts that have doubled your insurance premiums, and voting for the war that sent diesel to its record high. [36:00] We'll hear tonight if the Congressman can defend those votes. [36:03] I doubt he'll have the courage to do so. [36:05] Thank you very much. [36:07] Congressman Collins, your opening statement. [36:11] Good evening. [36:12] I'm Mike Collins, and I'm asking for your vote because right now, Georgia doesn't have a voice in the Senate. [36:17] You see, Georgia's where I built my business. [36:19] It's where I raised my family. [36:21] It's where I learned the hard lessons that helped me to deliver every day in Washington. [36:26] But my opponent is a radical, and he has left our state less safe, more expensive, and worse off. [36:34] He's an extremist who's voted for men to go in girls' sports. [36:38] He's opposed the forgotten men and women who just want to keep more of their tips, their overtime, and their Social Security. [36:45] In two years, I worked across the aisles to get two bills signed by two presidents of different parties. [36:51] One, to fight these synthetic drugs that are killing our kids. [36:54] The other, the Lake and Riley Act that has removed over 20,000 illegal criminals from our streets. [37:00] If you send me to the Senate, I'll work with whoever I need to to get results. [37:05] And I won't sell out our values doing it. [37:08] Gentlemen, thank you both. [37:10] Let's move on now to questions. [37:12] The first one comes from Savannah's WTOC anchor Mike Sela. [37:15] Mike. [37:16] Georgia families are stuck paying high prices for groceries, utilities, and everyday essentials. [37:22] People are putting in the work, but still falling behind. [37:25] Congressman Collins, if elected to the Senate, what is your plan to help families make ends meet? [37:30] And Senator Ossoff, if Democrats take control of the Senate, what is your plan to bring immediate relief to Georgia families? [37:37] Congressman, you have 60 seconds. [37:38] Yes. [37:39] First of all, let's look back and see where this came from. [37:42] My opponent voted for those Bidenomics that caused this historic inflation. [37:46] Not just on gas, and gas is too high, and we're bringing that down. [37:49] But on everything that you purchase out there. [37:51] He's the one that voted for that Green New Deal. [37:53] He doesn't want your gas to go down. [37:55] He doesn't even want you having gasoline automobiles. [37:57] He wants you riding on mass transit. [37:59] But what we need to do is continue to make sure that we become energy independent here. [38:04] We continue to make sure that young people have opportunities. [38:08] Make sure that that port down there is widened and deepened in Savannah so that we can bring goods in, as well as export goods out for other countries. [38:17] Senator Ossoff, excuse me, you have 60 seconds. [38:21] These tariffs are crushing our state, and we'll repeal those tariffs. [38:29] And I'd like to hear the congressman explain why he voted for them over and over and over again. [38:35] It costs more today than at any time in American history to stock your fridge, to fill up your truck, to power your home. [38:47] Diesel is up 70 percent since Donald Trump was elected president. [38:52] Ground beef and coffee are up 30 percent. [38:56] These tariffs have crushed families and small businesses and Georgia agriculture. [39:01] The war in Iran has sent gas prices near their all-time high. [39:06] Unlead is $4 in Georgia. Diesel is $6 in Georgia. [39:11] Coastal Georgia relies on trade. [39:13] I'd like to hear the congressman right now explain to Georgia voters how these tariffs are helping us. [39:20] Thank you, gentlemen. [39:22] I just want to remind you both of the rules that your campaigns have agreed to. [39:26] The candidates will not ask questions of each other. [39:28] Those questions will come from our journalists here. [39:30] And the next question comes from anchor Roslyn Giles with WTVM in Columbus. [39:35] Thank you, Rick. [39:36] Congressman Collins, you've pointed to the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, which Senator Ossoff voted for as the root cause of inflation. [39:44] But that law passed four years ago. [39:46] Last year, you voted for the Working Families Tax Cut Act, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. [39:52] Can you point to one measurable outcome from that bill that's helping alleviate costs of living concerns for Georgians? [39:59] Congressman, 60 seconds. [40:00] Yes, ma'am. [40:01] You know, I believe in keeping more money in the private sector, in people's pockets. [40:05] That one bill allowed families to keep over $3,000 a year. [40:10] Childcare credit wasn't gone. [40:13] It didn't go away. [40:14] They kept that. [40:15] 100% depreciation on equipment, on capitalized equipment. [40:19] Those things funneled back into our economy and caused this economy to grow. [40:23] That Bidenomics, that Green New Deal that my opponent voted for, that's where all this inflation came from. [40:31] We've got to continue to give back to energy independence. [40:34] The first thing that the Biden administration and my opponent and the Democrats did was kill the Keystone Pipeline. [40:39] That alone would have helped keep this energy cost down. [40:43] But he didn't. [40:44] You know, instead, he wanted to keep the borders wide open so that we had fentanyl coming across this border. [40:50] No one has ever asked or held John Ossoff accountable for any of his votes or the reasons why. [40:57] Why did he? [40:58] I had to write a bill to fight these synthetic drugs because he left that border open and allowed this stuff to just funnel into our country, killing these young people. [41:09] Congressman, thank you. [41:10] Senator Ossoff, you voted against the big, beautiful bill. [41:13] What is your plan to bring financial relief to Georgians? [41:16] We're going to repeal the tariffs. [41:18] We're going to end this disastrous war in Iran. [41:22] We're going to repeal those Medicaid cuts that have defunded hospitals and nursing homes across Georgia. [41:27] If you want to understand whether the Trump-Collins budget has helped you, just go fill up a tank of gas. [41:36] Go to the grocery store. [41:37] Try to buy food for your kids. [41:39] Look at your electric bill this week. [41:42] Look at your health insurance premiums. [41:45] They've doubled for more than a million Georgians, the predictable results of these disastrous policies. [41:52] And, Rick, I'm not asking the congressman a question. [41:55] I'm making a statement. [41:57] Georgia voters deserve to know why he voted over and over and over again for those tariffs. [42:05] Georgia voters deserve an explanation. [42:08] How have these tariffs helped us? [42:11] That's a question that Congressman Collins should answer right now if he has the courage to do so. [42:17] Let's hear it. [42:18] Thank you, Senator. [42:19] Congressman Collins, Republicans campaign on cutting wasteful Washington spending. [42:23] But the Congressional Budget Office reported just tonight the federal deficit climbed to $2 trillion this past fiscal year, up more than $200 billion from last year. [42:34] If tax cuts and deregulation are the answer, why is the national debt and the federal deficit continuing to balloon on your party's watch? [42:43] You know, tax cuts are the answer to keeping more money back in people's pockets. [42:50] That, in turn, when you keep money in the private sector, it turns over another five, six, seven times. [42:56] And what that does, what does that do? [42:58] That creates more taxes, more tax-paying people, and businesses grow. [43:03] But my opponent doesn't get that. [43:05] My opponent's a trust fund kid who's never had a job in his life. [43:10] He doesn't understand that. [43:11] He doesn't understand business. [43:13] That's okay. [43:14] And as we continue to become more independent, as we continue to make sure that we have a fair shot for America, it should be America first. [43:25] We have bowed down to the rest of this world and took it from companies or countries charging us tariffs over and over again. [43:33] We shouldn't be doing that. [43:34] We should set it up to where we have the advantage, and you should always have America first. [43:39] You know, but I think that people in this state need to know some things about my opponent. [43:45] Why he left that border wide open? [43:48] Congressman, I'm going to have to stop you there. [43:49] We'll get to that. [43:50] I want to give Senator Ossoff a chance at a rebuttal. [43:52] There were some charges leveled at you. [43:54] You have 30 seconds. [43:55] Well, the question was about the stewardship of tax dollars. [43:59] And as we stand here today, Rick, Congressman Mike Collins is under federal investigation for the illegal misuse of tax dollars for illegally funneling public money to his violent staffer's girlfriend. [44:14] And he refused to testify in that matter. [44:17] The Office of Congressional Conduct had to recommend that he be subpoenaed. [44:20] We haven't gotten an answer on the tariffs. [44:22] I'd like an answer why he refused to testify. [44:25] Congressman Collins, you have 30 seconds for a rebuttal there. [44:27] That ethics complaint is bogus. [44:29] Anybody can file one. [44:31] It is a nothing burger. [44:32] It is election season. [44:34] And my opponent, the Democrats, they wanted to ride this thing through the election. [44:39] As a matter of fact, I look forward to the day. [44:41] They need to release all of that. [44:42] Go ahead and release it. [44:43] The ethics committee needs to release the information and clear my name now, because that's all they're doing. [44:49] He can't talk on his record, y'all. [44:51] You don't hear him talk about his record. [44:53] All he wants to do is slander and try to slam me. [44:56] Senator Ossoff, you criticized Republican tax cuts for driving up the debt. [45:00] But during your first two years in Washington, you voted for trillions of dollars in spending as the national debt climbed past $31 trillion. [45:08] If debt is a threat to our economic future, why did you vote to expand it when your party controlled the budget? [45:14] Thank you so much for the question, Rick. [45:17] Look, one of the things that we did was pass the bipartisan infrastructure law to pull lead pipes out of drinking water systems across Georgia, expand broadband internet, upgrade every seaport and airport in the state of Georgia. [45:30] That's the kind of program that supports our economic development. [45:34] But right now, with this disastrous war in the Middle East, Congressman Collins voted seven times for the war in Iran. [45:43] Seven times. [45:44] With these tariffs crushing international trade, driving grocery prices to all-time highs, these health care cuts that have doubled health insurance premiums for more than a million Georgians. [45:55] Our economy is being strangled by Donald Trump and Mike Collins' economic record. [46:01] We're now almost 12 minutes into this debate. [46:03] We still haven't heard an explanation of how the tariffs are helping Georgia families. [46:09] Georgians deserve to know why someone who wants to serve them in the Senate voted over and over for these tariffs. [46:15] Thank you, Senator. [46:16] Up next, anchor Will Rio from WRDW in Augusta. Will. [46:22] Well, this question is for both candidates. [46:24] Georgia has lost 1.2 million acres of farmland since 1985. [46:28] And farmers in East Georgia faced weather-related losses from Hurricane Helene. [46:32] If elected, what farm bill priorities would you fight for to help family farms stay profitable and keep food prices stable for consumers? [46:40] Senator Ossoff, you have 60 seconds. [46:42] You know, just a couple weeks ago, the Republican chairman of Georgia's Peanut Commission endorsed my campaign. [46:52] I've delivered for Georgia farmers. [46:54] When Georgia pecan growers came to me, they told me that India had put a 100 percent tariff on Georgia pecans. [47:01] I got to work and got the Indians to cut that tariff by 70 percent. [47:06] But right now, family farms in Georgia are getting crushed. [47:12] A third of the world's fertilizer flows through the Strait of Hormuz. [47:18] Diesel prices are at their all-time high in American history. [47:23] Under Mike Collins and Donald Trump, it costs more than ever to buy a tractor for your farm or to plant an acre of cotton. [47:34] We still haven't heard an explanation for the tariffs. [47:37] I'd like for the congressman also to explain to the folks across Georgia how this disastrous war has been a success. [47:44] Congressman Collins, you have 60 seconds. [47:47] Thank you. You know, agriculture is the number one industry in this state. [47:51] And nobody works smarter or harder than our American farmer. [47:56] And they deserve our help because a lot of times the playing field is not fair. [48:02] We put them in bad situations. We sure do. [48:05] We don't produce our own stuff here. We don't produce our own fertilizer here because they've been chased overseas. [48:10] And we had to import it. [48:12] You know, when I think about our farmers and I look back, it was just this time last year. [48:17] Last year that John Ossoff shut the government down for 48 days. [48:23] He shut it down, y'all, right when we were trying to get that emergency money out for Hurricane Helene [48:28] so that our farmers and our small communities could repair and prepare for this year's harvest. [48:34] Oh, no. He didn't care about that. [48:37] He shut it down because he wanted to defund Border Patrol and ICE. [48:43] And Georgia, we deserve to know why he left that border wide open so that child trafficking could come across that border. [48:50] Thank goodness we didn't shut our Border Patrol down in ICE. [48:53] Thank you, sir. [48:54] Because they have been out there collecting those young people. [48:56] Thank you, sir. [48:57] Getting them back to their families. [48:58] I want to give the senator 30 seconds for a rebuttal. [49:00] Well, the question was about Georgia agriculture. [49:02] And if you go to South Georgia right now and you talk to any farmer in our state, they will tell you that diesel prices are crushing them. [49:10] They will tell you that they are bearing the brunt of global retaliation for this trade war. [49:17] These tariffs are crushing Georgia's economy, and they're crushing Georgia agriculture. [49:22] It's the war and the tariffs destroying our farm economy, and Georgians deserve answers from the congressmen. [49:29] That concludes our first segment. [49:32] Debate Night Live is just getting started. [49:34] We will be right back with more questions and answers from Senator John Ossoff and Congressman Mike Collins. [49:40] Welcome back to Debate Night Live. [51:53] Democratic incumbent Senator John Ossoff and Republican Congressman Mike Collins taking center stage in the race for U.S. Senate. [52:00] Our next question comes from Atlanta News First statewide reporter, Abby Casores. Abby. [52:04] Hospital hospitals across Georgia are on the financial edge. [52:08] In Hawkinsville, Taylor Regional asked for a city loan just to stay afloat. [52:12] And doctors are reportedly leaving for Warner Robins more than an hour away. [52:16] If you're elected, what is one specific action you'll take to keep ERs like Taylor Regionals open statewide? [52:24] Senator Ossoff, you have 60 seconds. [52:26] We're going to repeal the disastrous Medicaid cuts that Mike Collins voted to pass. [52:31] Look, when you all elected me to the Senate, I took on the drug companies to cap the cost of insulin at $35. [52:38] Mike Collins and Donald Trump passed the biggest Medicaid cut in history. [52:44] A hospital in Mike Collins' own district had to shut down its labor and delivery unit, citing those Medicaid cuts. [52:53] How can a sitting congressman vote to shut down a labor and delivery unit in his own district? [53:01] Delivering mothers in Mike Collins' district now have to drive an hour to get to a labor and delivery unit while they're in labor, [53:08] when we already have a maternal mortality crisis. [53:11] Not to mention health insurance premiums have doubled for more than a million Georgians. [53:17] 300,000 have lost their insurance altogether. [53:20] And Georgians deserve an explanation why the congressman voted to double your health insurance premiums. [53:26] Congressman Collins, you have 60 seconds. [53:28] Yeah, a lot to unpack here. [53:29] Rural hospitals, major problems. [53:31] That's why in the bill, the working families tax cut plan, we put $218 billion in there for rural hospitals. [53:38] 93 million of us have already been submitted to Georgia through 87 counties. [53:44] You know, the problem is, and John Ossoff won't understand this because he doesn't have to worry about health care. [53:50] He doesn't have to worry about trying to buy health care insurance for his family. [53:54] He never will. [53:55] But the problem started way back under Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act. [54:01] Y'all, I was in the private sector then. [54:03] I remember that first year, my insurance going up 62%. [54:07] And from that day forward, I saw our rural hospitals start to close or swap over to swing beds [54:13] because they couldn't handle the mandates that were being pushed on them. [54:17] When you let the federal government take over health care, which is what, at the end of the day, [54:22] John Ossoff wants to do to you, then this is what you get. [54:26] You get high insurance, inflated prices, and you get hospitals that are closing every day. [54:32] Thank you, Congressman. [54:33] Senator, you have 30 seconds. [54:34] You know what's tragic about this is that we were warned, the Congressional Budget Office warned us, [54:41] that if they passed this bill, health insurance premiums would skyrocket, [54:45] that if they passed this bill, rural hospitals would have to close down services. [54:49] It's a hospital in your own district, Mike. [54:51] And now a delivering mother has to drive an hour to get to a facility where she can deliver safely. [54:57] It's a disgrace. [54:58] You still haven't explained it. [54:59] And you haven't explained why you voted to double your own constituents' health insurance premiums. [55:03] Congressman, 30 seconds for everybody. [55:05] 30 seconds. [55:06] The Affordable Care Act is what has caused your insurance to go sky high. [55:10] Our premiums have gone through the roof and the coverage has gone through the floor. [55:14] John would never understand that, though. [55:16] I get it. [55:17] He doesn't. [55:18] He doesn't have to worry about paying for that. [55:20] But I have been out there with my rural hospitals. [55:22] That's why he voted against giving these hospitals that much needed money. [55:26] If anybody should answer for anything, John Ossoff should answer for why he was not willing to help out these rural hospitals survive. [55:34] Because what happens is if you don't have rural hospitals in these rural hospitals... [55:39] Congressman, we're out of time. [55:40] You won't have... [55:41] I'd like to respond. [55:42] Congressman, we're out of time. [55:43] We're going to stay on this topic, gentlemen. [55:45] I want to go to Rosalyn. [55:46] Is that all we need to do is just raise our hands and... [55:48] Excuse me. [55:49] Pardon me, sir. [55:50] We're going to move on to the next question. [55:51] Rosalyn Giles has it. [55:52] Go ahead, Rosalyn. [55:53] Senator Ossoff, you voted to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies nine times. [55:57] But what is your plan to lower the underlying cost of care and insurance premiums, not just subsidize existing costs? [56:05] It requires price transparency. [56:07] It also requires Medicaid expansion here in Georgia. [56:10] It's why we need a Medicaid-expanding Governor Keisha Lance Bottoms here in Georgia to address our state's health care emergency. [56:18] But what you're talking about are the Affordable Care Act benefits that Congressman Mike Collins voted to let lapse. [56:26] And, again, we were warned. Members of Congress, like Mike, they knew exactly what that vote would do to you. [56:32] So, when you get home and you get that letter from your insurance company, and you just came from the grocery store where you couldn't buy ground beef for your kids because of the tariffs, [56:43] and you could only fill up half a tank of gas because of the war, and you open the notice from your insurance company and your premiums have doubled, this man is responsible for that. [56:53] And he still refuses tonight to explain why he voted to double your health insurance premiums. [56:59] And I think that's disqualifying for a candidate for U.S. Senate. [57:02] Let's see if he has the courage to explain his votes. [57:05] Senator, thank you. [57:06] Congressman Collins, what is your plan to lower the underlying cost of care and insurance premiums? [57:11] Yeah, you know, when you talk about these subsidies, the only people getting rich on these subsidies are our health insurance carriers out there. [57:18] We've seen their stock go through the roof thousands of percent. [57:22] What we need to do is make sure that there is more transparency. [57:25] We need to make sure that people pay a fair price for drugs. [57:28] That's drugs. [57:29] The Trump RX is doing a great job with that. [57:32] You also need to make sure that we're most favored nation status with pricing, that we're not subsidizing the rest of the world with our drug prices out there. [57:40] But you talk about these Medicaid subsidies. [57:43] All that was passed under the Biden administration with John Ossoff. [57:48] That was to cover the COVID period. [57:51] If they wanted it permanent, they could have voted for it right then. [57:55] But they didn't. [57:56] And that's because they realized they know this, that all that ever happens is the only people that get subsidized are our insurance companies. [58:05] And they make more money off of you and me while our insurance coverage goes down. [58:10] We have a lot of ground to cover. [58:11] We're going to move on to the next question. [58:12] Mike Sela from WTOC. [58:14] Go ahead, Mike. [58:15] Well, this question is for both candidates. [58:17] Massive new data center projects are receiving a lot of backlash, including the proposed $20 billion open AI facility in Effingham County. [58:25] They require immense amounts of energy and water. [58:28] How will you ensure that the massive strain on our power grid does not result in higher monthly utility bills for Georgia families and small businesses? [58:36] Congressman Collins, 60 seconds. [58:37] Yeah, sure. [58:38] You know, I've said this from the beginning. [58:40] I'm very much in favor of local control. [58:43] Local people know what needs to be in their communities and what doesn't. [58:47] And we need to make sure that their infrastructure is not destroyed, that either that's electric or water. [58:54] They know that. [58:56] If you want a data center in your area, when I'm the U.S. center, I'll help you fight to get one. [59:02] If you don't, I'll help make sure that you don't get that. [59:05] But you know what? [59:06] John Ossoff, he's got his major donor, one of his mega donors, his data center billionaire Reid Hoffman, also one of Epstein's buddies out there, has funneled money into his campaign. [59:17] He's got to answer to those people. [59:20] He doesn't have to answer to local people. [59:22] Senator Ossoff, you have 60 seconds. [59:24] First of all, no Georgia family or small business should pay a dime more to subsidize the energy consumption of these data centers. [59:31] No local community should have these data centers imposed on them. [59:37] But that same budget bill we've been discussing all night, the one that slashed Medicaid, the one that doubled your health insurance premiums. [59:44] It also gave $70 billion of your money to data center developers. [59:51] Just think about this. [59:52] When you are paying more for your health insurance, when a hospital in your community is closing down, Mike Collins voted to take that money out of your pocket and out of your community and give it instead to data center developers. [1:00:08] And that's the problem, Mike. [1:00:09] It's not just that you've hired half the Third Reich to staff your congressional office and you have promoted neo-Nazi content online. [1:00:16] It's that you're robbing your constituents to subsidize your donors. [1:00:19] I want to know if you will commit to voting to repeal that data center tax scam that you voted for. [1:00:24] What's your answer? [1:00:25] Congressman, 30 seconds. [1:00:26] Rick, you know I'm all for the rate payer protection plan. [1:00:29] We need to make sure that whatever happens, that those local communities don't take an impact. [1:00:34] These data centers need to pay. [1:00:36] They need to make sure that they support the communities that they're going in. [1:00:39] And we're seeing that. [1:00:40] And we're seeing good results from that. [1:00:42] But where they don't need to be, the people don't want them, they don't need to be there. [1:00:46] But you talk about data center developers getting money. [1:00:49] My goodness, Reid Hoffman. [1:00:51] Reid Hoffman, a big billionaire data center developer, turned around and funneled money right into John Ossoff's campaign. [1:00:58] Maxed that to them and then put over a million dollars in the superpac. [1:01:00] Thank you, sir. [1:01:01] We're going to move on to the next question. [1:01:03] We're going to move on to the next question from Telemundo Atlanta anchor, Adam R. Montaña. [1:01:07] Adam R. [1:01:08] Thank you, Rick. [1:01:09] Senator Offsoff, police use automated license plates readers across Georgia. [1:01:13] What federal privacy guardrails must exist to prevent unwarranted tracking? [1:01:17] Thank you so much for the question. [1:01:19] We urgently need a federal privacy law to protect our privacy from big tech companies who spy on us, [1:01:29] our phones and social media, to protect us from flock cameras that are being improperly accessed by folks who are using that information to target innocent people. [1:01:41] Artificial intelligence makes it even more important that we pass a federal privacy law. [1:01:46] But I don't know if you saw, just this week Donald Trump said he likes flock cameras. [1:01:51] He wants them everywhere. [1:01:52] He wants you to be spied on. [1:01:54] He doesn't care about your privacy. [1:01:56] He put a flock camera on every block if he could. [1:01:59] Maybe tonight, Mike Collins will have the courage to buck the president on this. [1:02:03] Does he agree with Donald Trump that we want flock cameras everywhere? [1:02:07] Or will he join me in demanding respect for Americans' privacy and constitutional rights? [1:02:13] Congressman, I'd like to give you 30 seconds to respond. [1:02:16] Uh, yeah, I thought I had a minute. [1:02:18] All right, okay. [1:02:20] Well, anyway, yes. [1:02:21] 30 seconds. [1:02:22] The flock cameras, if they're being abused, they shouldn't be out there. [1:02:25] And they are being abused. [1:02:27] If we're going to use them, then we need to have a warrant to access that information. [1:02:32] Otherwise, we don't need the flock camera system. [1:02:35] I'm a firm believer in privacy laws out there and protecting your private rights. [1:02:40] But, you know, I think the senator has a lot to answer for, too. [1:02:44] You know, he's still yet to answer for farmers on why he shut this government down, right when they needed that Hurricane Helene money. [1:02:51] Congressman, thank you. [1:02:52] Our next question comes from reporter Mariah Norman with WALB in Albany. [1:02:56] Mariah. [1:02:57] This question is for Congressman Collins. [1:03:00] There are safety concerns with artificial intelligence, but AI also leads to tech growth here in Georgia and nationally. [1:03:08] How would you balance regulation of AI while allowing Georgians and Americans to benefit from this emerging technology? [1:03:16] Congressman Collins, now you have 60 seconds. [1:03:18] Yeah, thank you. [1:03:19] I got it now. [1:03:20] Yeah, sure. [1:03:21] We're in a race with AI. [1:03:23] We're in a race against China for AI. [1:03:25] You know, what China actually wants is domination over the entire world. [1:03:31] It doesn't matter if it's economically. [1:03:33] It doesn't matter if it's military. [1:03:35] It's just whatever. [1:03:36] And to have the potential that AI can provide for Americans, and it already is, is great. [1:03:44] But we need to make sure that we protect our citizens. [1:03:48] We need to make sure that there's not an overreach with these AI centers that are out there, and make sure that they're not prying on you and spying on you. [1:03:58] That what happens is what they need to do, and that's make our life more efficient and more productive. [1:04:04] Thank you, Congressman. [1:04:06] And candidates, that's all for this particular segment. [1:04:08] We are going to move on after a quick break. [1:04:10] Debate Night Live continues right after this. [1:04:13] Welcome back to the U.S. Senate debate between Republican Congressman Mike Collins and incumbent Democratic Senator John Ossoff. [1:06:31] The next question is for you, Senator. [1:06:33] Yesterday was the three-year mark since the October 7 terror attack in Israel. [1:06:38] Israel's response has led to a major divide in your party, with many prominent Democrats accusing Israel of committing genocide. [1:06:45] You yourself voted to block a shipment of arms to Israel, seen by many in Atlanta's Jewish community as a betrayal. [1:06:52] Do you believe Israel is guilty of committing genocide? [1:06:56] Are you alarmed by the growing anti-Israel sentiment within your party? [1:07:00] And will you vote yes or no on the administration's latest $2.8 billion weapons package for Israel? [1:07:07] And you have 60 seconds. [1:07:09] Thank you, Rick. [1:07:10] The question of genocide is a question of whether a government has the specific intent to destroy a national or ethnic group. [1:07:19] And that is a question for the International Criminal Court. [1:07:24] There is no doubt in my mind that Israeli forces prosecuting the war in Gaza violated the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law. [1:07:34] And I care deeply about the security of the Israeli people, among whom are members of my family. [1:07:39] I also care about innocent Palestinian life and make no apology for my votes. [1:07:45] But Congressman Mike Collins wants to sanction and defund the International Criminal Court. [1:07:51] His view is that there should not be accountability for crimes against humanity, no matter who commits them. [1:07:58] And that's because the Congressman is deeply disconnected from our state's tradition of civil rights and human rights. [1:08:05] Thank you, Senator. [1:08:07] Congressman Collins, I'd like to give you 30 seconds to respond. [1:08:10] Yeah, you know, George, I think I'm putting this puzzle together pretty good for you. [1:08:14] You know, oh, John Ossoff has been out there and recruited, supported and endorsed this Abdul El Saeed. [1:08:19] He hates Israel, loves Iran. [1:08:23] That's his pick. [1:08:24] He's moved as far left as he can go. [1:08:27] As a matter of fact, it's Hassan Piker. [1:08:29] Also the same way. [1:08:30] He's out there and he's endorsed John Ossoff for president for 2028. [1:08:35] So that's where his stance is. [1:08:37] Don't let him fool you. [1:08:38] He talks one way and he votes another way. [1:08:40] Congressman Collins. [1:08:41] I need to have the opportunity to respond to that. [1:08:43] Excuse me, Senator. [1:08:44] I'm sorry. [1:08:45] Congressman Collins, your opponent rarely mentions your name without calling you a bigot. [1:08:50] You have 60 seconds, though many feel you have not adequately addressed the fact that your son-in-law is a white supremacist social media influencer and several members of your staff have been linked to racism and anti-Semitism. [1:09:02] Take Georgia voters to your family dinner table. [1:09:06] What specifically have you said to your daughter and son-in-law about his posts? [1:09:11] And will you once and for all denounce white supremacy? [1:09:14] You have 60 seconds. [1:09:15] You know, Rick, that's my family. [1:09:17] That's the craziness that Don Ossoff has been spewing out there. [1:09:23] I actually had a crazy person get put in jail this weekend because he not only wanted to kill my son-in-law, but he wanted to kill me. [1:09:29] And you're exactly right. [1:09:31] I've got a daughter and grandkids there as well as my wife. [1:09:35] I've condemned racism, anti-Semitism, hate. [1:09:39] I don't care where the source is. [1:09:41] And I tell him that, too. [1:09:42] It's wrong. [1:09:43] We have no place in this world for that. [1:09:46] But I've never heard him say a word about his DSA pick up there, Abdul El Saeed, Hassan Piker. [1:09:53] How about Reid Hoffman? [1:09:55] None of those. [1:09:56] He doesn't denounce anybody or anything or condemn them because he's part of them. [1:10:00] But yet he wants to take that and spew that on me. [1:10:04] That's not me. [1:10:05] When I had things happen, I'm a businessman. [1:10:08] I fired them. [1:10:09] I got rid of them. [1:10:10] Don't need them. [1:10:11] Senator, 30 seconds. [1:10:12] Imagine running for the U.S. Senate while neo-Nazi propaganda is disseminated to an audience of millions from your home. [1:10:21] That's Mike Collins. [1:10:22] And it's not just those around him. [1:10:24] Mike Collins himself has amplified neo-Nazi propaganda online. [1:10:29] Mike Collins' office intervened at the Department of Justice on behalf of a Holocaust denier while his office was in cahoots with some of the nation's most notorious white supremacists. [1:10:39] Mike Collins is a bigot and it's disqualifying for a candidate for the U.S. Senate. [1:10:44] Congressman, 30 seconds. [1:10:45] Imagine being a U.S. Senator and out there recruiting, endorsing and supporting these people that want to see Israel wiped off the map. [1:10:52] They would say that they would rather be for Iran than for Israel. [1:10:56] That's who John Ossoff is supporting. [1:10:58] He has yet to say anything about that. [1:11:00] Just like John Ossoff has yet to say anything about why he voted to raise your taxes. [1:11:05] He wanted to see your taxes double. [1:11:07] Matter of fact, he wants to see all your taxes. [1:11:11] At the end of it, what they're looking for is to have control over your life. [1:11:14] Why does he feel like that you don't have to have your money in your pocket, that they can spend it better than they can? [1:11:20] Congressman, thank you very much. [1:11:21] Atlanta News First statewide reporter Abby Casores has our next question. [1:11:25] Abby. [1:11:26] This question is for both of you. [1:11:27] Georgia has been at the center of fights over voting rules and election administration. [1:11:32] What voting rules should be left to Georgia to decide, and when, if ever, should the federal government step in? [1:11:38] Senator, 60 seconds. [1:11:39] Well, look, Georgia has voter ID, and that's good. [1:11:43] Mike Collins and Donald Trump, they're still obsessed with overturning the 2020 election. [1:11:50] Mike Collins still believes the 2020 election was stolen. [1:11:53] Mike Collins has supported Donald Trump's effort to overturn the election, [1:11:57] and he wants to give your tax dollars to the violent thugs and criminals who sacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. [1:12:06] Mike Collins is attacking your voting rights. [1:12:08] But that's not a surprise when you consider who Mike Collins is. [1:12:12] This is a man who cheered on a group of young men who were mocking a black woman on a college campus with monkey sounds. [1:12:20] If John Lewis were marching today from Selma to Montgomery, Mike Collins would be grabbing a billy club. [1:12:28] His office has been in cahoots with some of the most notorious white supremacists on the country. [1:12:33] He himself has amplified neo-Nazi propaganda. [1:12:38] He's never apologized for it, and he should tonight. [1:12:41] Congressman Collins, you have 60 seconds. [1:12:43] Yeah, you know, I'll say this. Voters need confidence. [1:12:46] They need to know, y'all, we live in the best country in the world, and there's no reason that we shouldn't have the most secure elections in the world. [1:12:56] John Ossoff has voted against the SAVE Act numerous times. [1:13:01] Georgia, you're right, has a voter ID law. [1:13:05] And we've seen historic amounts of people that have voted since that has been in place. [1:13:10] But we need that across the country. [1:13:12] There's no reason that you shouldn't have to show an ID to go in and vote. [1:13:18] My goodness, John Ossoff requires you to show an ID to show up at his rally. [1:13:22] But he doesn't think you need to do that to go vote. [1:13:26] People will go vote when they have confidence in our elections. [1:13:29] Until then, it is hard. [1:13:31] And they just want to make sure that it is a fair, equitable election out there. [1:13:35] Congressman, thank you very much. [1:13:38] Yeah. [1:13:39] Mike Sela is up next. Go ahead, Mike. [1:13:40] This question is for both candidates. [1:13:42] How should the United States handle trade tariffs and economic competition with China without hurting Georgia's manufacturing sector and the cargo volume at the port of Savannah? [1:13:53] Congressman, 60 seconds. [1:13:54] Yeah, you know, Savannah Port and Brunswick Port both have been on my mind. [1:14:00] As a matter of fact, I'm chairman of the Water Resource Environment Subcommittee. [1:14:03] One of the first things I did was go down to Brunswick and make sure that that place has not been fully dredged since 2015. [1:14:09] Make sure that they got that done and they've gotten that. [1:14:13] Now we don't have to bring in half loads or take out half of loads. [1:14:16] Went up to Savannah and made sure that they got that study to where they could widen and deepen that. [1:14:20] That is such a huge impact on the state of Georgia. [1:14:23] And it's causing where we'll have an economic boom, not only just bringing goods in, but being able to ship goods out because the tariffs now are making it fair and making sure, just like the fellow I talked about with two days ago that said he was getting his brains beat in because China was bringing in the same goods he was manufacturing right here in Putnam County. [1:14:44] And he couldn't compete with them because they don't care if they don't make money. [1:14:49] See, John Ossoff doesn't. [1:14:50] He still won't answer why he voted to raise your taxes and not let you keep more money. [1:14:55] Thank you, Congressman. [1:14:56] He thinks the federal government is the answer. [1:14:58] Thank you, Congressman. [1:14:59] Senator Ossoff, you have 60 seconds. [1:15:00] Well, you just heard Mike Collins say the tariffs are working. [1:15:03] Go buy groceries. [1:15:06] No one in this state seriously believes these tariffs are working, Congressman. [1:15:11] It's been a disaster. [1:15:13] And so has this war, a war, by the way, that we were lied into. [1:15:18] They told us last year that they'd obliterated Iran's nuclear program. [1:15:23] This year, they told us it posed an imminent threat. [1:15:26] So on top of the tariffs now, we have eight months of war, 18 Americans killed in action, hundreds wounded. [1:15:35] Iran still has its uranium. [1:15:39] Iran still has its drones and missiles. [1:15:42] Diesel's at an all-time high. [1:15:44] Unleaded gas is at $4. [1:15:46] So we've heard from the Congressman that he thinks the tariffs are working. [1:15:50] I think the Congressman deserves an opportunity to say whether he believes this war has been a success. [1:15:57] Thank you very much. [1:16:00] Let's move on. [1:16:01] Will Rio has the next question. [1:16:02] Go ahead, Will. [1:16:03] Senator Ossoff, you sit on the Senate Intelligence Committee. [1:16:06] How do we counter foreign adversaries without triggering retaliatory trade embargoes on Georgia farm exports? [1:16:14] Well, thank you for the question. [1:16:15] And it is Georgia farmers who have been crushed by retaliation for these tariffs. [1:16:20] I mentioned earlier that when Georgia pecan growers faced those massive Indian tariffs, I sat down seven times with India's ambassador to the United States. [1:16:29] I led a trade delegation. [1:16:30] I got them to agree to reduce those tariffs. [1:16:32] But as we speak right now, it's Georgia farmers bearing the brunt of the Mike Collins, Donald Trump tariffs. [1:16:39] Just like it's Georgia farmers bearing the brunt of these high diesel prices. [1:16:44] It costs more than ever to buy a tractor for your farm. [1:16:47] Family farms are going under. [1:16:50] And this also was predictable. [1:16:52] Just like it was predictable that his votes would double health insurance premiums for more than a million Georgians, [1:16:57] we knew what the consequences of these tariffs would be. [1:17:00] And still, he voted for them. [1:17:02] And I'll tell you why. [1:17:03] It's because whatever Donald Trump says, Mike Collins does. [1:17:06] Doesn't matter what it is. [1:17:08] Doesn't think for himself. [1:17:09] I'd like the Congressman to say if there's a single time he has voted against Donald Trump. [1:17:14] Thank you, Senator. [1:17:15] Abby Casares has the next question for the Congressman. [1:17:17] This is a question for Congressman Collins, and it's a long one, so bear with me. [1:17:22] But after the Hyundai battery plant raid last year, Governor Kemp and business leaders said that the incident exposed a problem with the U.S. visa system and called for change. [1:17:31] A year later, that system has largely remained the same. [1:17:34] If you're elected, what specifically would you change about the federal visa policy to make sure companies investing billions in Georgia can bring in specialized workers legally without creating a loophole for employers to replace American workers? [1:17:48] 60 seconds, Congressman. [1:17:49] Sure, you know, and here's what I want the American people to know. [1:17:52] There are so many parts of our federal government that are just antiquated. [1:17:55] And the reason is, it's because we don't do our job up there. [1:17:59] We don't pass appropriation bills, and you don't hold them accountable, and you don't make the changes necessary. [1:18:04] And that's why you still see problems. [1:18:06] We don't go in and tell the federal government, you've got to fix it, and they just continue down the same road. [1:18:12] We need people coming into our country. [1:18:14] We need them coming in legally. [1:18:15] You know, John Ossoff just mentioned on service members out there. [1:18:19] You know, he comes to Georgia, and he talks about does press conferences on VA home mortgages. [1:18:25] Had nothing to do with that piece of legislation. [1:18:27] He goes out and says that he helped get the pay raise for our current active military. [1:18:32] Y'all, he voted against that bill. [1:18:34] He also said that he was responsible, voted for the infrastructure improvements at Fort Benning and Fort Stewart. [1:18:41] He voted against that bill as well. [1:18:44] He's coming to Georgia, he's telling you one thing, and he's going right back up there, and he's voting a different way. [1:18:50] Senator, 30 seconds. [1:18:51] You know, when I talk to military families across the state, they want to know that their government is being honest with them about why we go to war. [1:18:58] So let's honor those service members as public officials and tell them the truth. [1:19:04] This war has been a disaster. [1:19:07] Eighteen Americans have been killed. [1:19:10] Hundreds have been wounded. [1:19:12] The president declared victory on day four of this conflict. [1:19:16] You want to support the troops? [1:19:18] Why don't you explain to Georgians right now, Congressman, how this war has been a success? [1:19:24] This is your chance. [1:19:25] Congressman, I'll give you 30 seconds if you'd like to defend the war. [1:19:29] The president had every right to go in there and make sure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. [1:19:36] John Ossoff knows this. [1:19:38] The IAEA, they had already sounded the bells, the alarms, that Iran was close to getting a nuclear weapon. [1:19:46] And the thing is, Iran doesn't only want to decimate and kill Israel. [1:19:50] They want us as well. [1:19:51] We've been at war with this regime for 47 years. [1:19:54] They've been killing American service members for 47 years. [1:19:59] And they were this close to getting a nuclear weapon. [1:20:02] And they would have used it. [1:20:03] And we would have lost the city. [1:20:04] Thank you, Congressman. [1:20:05] Thank you, gentlemen. [1:20:06] We're going to take one more break. [1:20:07] We will be right back with more questions and answers in this 2026 U.S. Senate debate. [1:20:12] Welcome back to Debate Night Live, the race for Senate. [1:22:26] Our final segment begins with a question from Adamar Montagna. [1:22:29] This is for both candidates. [1:22:32] Immigrant households generate more than $52 billion in annual income and fill critical roles in Georgia's agriculture, construction, and manufacturing industries. [1:22:42] Analysts estimate large-scale deportations could cost nearly $930 million in state and local taxes. [1:22:49] How do you secure our borders and deport violent offenders without starving Georgia's farms and construction sites of needed labor? [1:22:57] Congressman Collins, 60 seconds. [1:22:59] Yeah, sure. [1:23:00] You know, that border's been secure. [1:23:01] It is secure now, people. [1:23:03] And lowest rates ever that's coming across. [1:23:05] And that's the way it should be. [1:23:07] You should come into this country legally, period. [1:23:10] Do we need help? [1:23:11] Yes, we do. [1:23:12] You know, we need H-2A visas to be fixed. [1:23:15] They need to be... [1:23:16] It gets back to this federal bureaucracy. [1:23:18] It needs to be improved to where it's more efficient and more productive to get these people in and out. [1:23:23] Illegal immigrants, though, that John Ossoff led into this country, not only were coming over here killing people and murdering people like Lakin Riley, [1:23:31] and he wouldn't shut the door on it, human trafficking that he just let continue to flow, [1:23:37] but they were also taking the jobs that young people, young Americans, could go out there and get, and hampering them. [1:23:45] You want to give jobs? [1:23:46] Give jobs to Americans, and then you'll see your taxes continue to flow into this country, [1:23:50] and all their paychecks won't be going back to the country that they came from to support their families back here. [1:23:56] They'll support the young American families that are here. [1:23:59] Senator, 60 seconds. [1:24:00] The Georgians do expect and deserve secure borders, and that's why I worked with Senator Cornyn of Texas [1:24:05] to rush drug detection equipment to ports of entry. [1:24:09] The Georgians also expect their government to uphold basic standards of decency and human rights and civil rights. [1:24:18] And what have we seen this last year and a half? [1:24:20] You know, they promised to go after the worst of the worst. [1:24:22] Instead, they've rounded up people at job sites with no suspicion of any criminal history. [1:24:27] They've ripped breastfeeding infants from their mothers. [1:24:32] They've unleashed federal agents to kill Americans on the streets of our cities with impunity. [1:24:37] That's Mike Collins' immigration policy, and that's what you would expect from the bigot congressman [1:24:44] who called for executing immigrants by throwing them to their deaths out of helicopters, [1:24:50] who still won't apologize for personally amplifying neo-Nazi propaganda [1:24:57] and allowing it to be disseminated from his home. [1:25:00] Senator, thank you. Congressman, 30 seconds. [1:25:02] 30 seconds, yeah. [1:25:03] Last year this time, farmers, think about this. [1:25:07] John Ossoff shut the government down right when we were trying to get you that money out, [1:25:11] because you needed help. [1:25:14] Hurricane Helena had decimated your farms, and you needed help to make sure that you could get next year's crops out. [1:25:20] What did he do? He shut it down, because he wanted to defund, he wants to defund all law enforcement. [1:25:25] But he wanted to defund Border Patrol and ICE, the people that are out there keeping us safe [1:25:30] and getting these illegal criminals off our streets and out of our country. [1:25:34] Senator, 30 seconds. [1:25:35] You know, to hear Mike Collins talk about honoring law enforcement, [1:25:39] when Mike Collins supports taking your tax dollars and giving it to the people who assaulted police [1:25:47] and sacked the United States Capitol on January 6th to overturn that election. [1:25:53] Mike Collins is one of the most extreme members of Congress. [1:25:57] He's a Trump puppet election denier. [1:26:00] I want to hear if Mike still believes the 2020 election was stolen. [1:26:03] What do you say, Mike? [1:26:04] Senator, thank you. Abby Casouris, you have the next question. [1:26:08] Congressman Collins, you authored the Lake and Riley Act, which requires detention of certain immigrants charged with crimes. [1:26:15] As a U.S. Senator, what more would you do to ensure those who are legally subject to removal are actually deported [1:26:21] and communities aren't forced to pay for extended stay in Georgia jails? [1:26:25] You know, it's been amazing. I was, uh, see, I was, I've been, man, we've been clocking 2,000 miles a week for the past couple of weeks. [1:26:32] I might have crossed the state seeing people. I'm not holed up in Atlanta, Georgia, and run out and do a little press conference. [1:26:38] And, uh, talking about the Lake and Riley Act, uh, talked with a couple of DAs and assistant DAs. [1:26:44] And, and they said, Mike, because of the Lake and Riley Act, that one little four-page piece of legislation, [1:26:51] which John Ossoff never helped lift a finger to get me pushed and kept that get across the finish line. [1:26:57] He could have passed it when John, when Joe Biden was the president, but he didn't. [1:27:01] I mean, at the end of the day, he voted for it. [1:27:03] But what they're telling me is, Mike, we have people in our jails right now on ICE detainers [1:27:08] that otherwise we would have had to have let go. [1:27:11] And they would be right back out there in the public committing crimes and, and continuing their criminal trades. [1:27:17] So it's been a great success. We need to continue that to make sure. [1:27:21] We need to continue to make sure that that border stays, stays closed down. [1:27:27] Thank you, Congressman. People come in the right way. [1:27:29] Rosalyn Giles, you have the next question. [1:27:30] Thank you, Rick. [1:27:31] Senator Ossoff, Congressman Collins says you never supported the Lake and Riley Act [1:27:35] and only voted yes once passage was already assured. [1:27:38] Pointing to your March 2024 vote against a related procedural measure, was your position genuinely evolving? [1:27:45] Or was this a political calculation timed to your reelection? [1:27:49] And what specific changes do you want to see in the bill that you didn't get? [1:27:54] Well, Mike Collins knows that's a lie. [1:27:56] But listen, folks, again, what did they tell us? [1:28:00] They told us they were going to go after the worst of the worst. [1:28:03] They told us they were going to target hardened criminals. [1:28:06] And immigration enforcement should focus on those who pose a threat to public safety. [1:28:11] But that's not what they've done. [1:28:14] My office has been investigating abuses in ICE detention for the last year and a half. [1:28:19] We've documented more than 1,000 credible reports of human rights abuses in ICE detention facilities. [1:28:25] There was an infant who had to go into intensive care because that child's mother was deported while that child was still breastfeeding. [1:28:37] These are human rights abuses that Mike Collins and Donald Trump bear responsibility for. [1:28:43] Remember, they unleashed federal agents in American cities wearing masks who killed American citizens. [1:28:51] And Mike Collins and Donald Trump should answer for that. [1:28:53] Thank you, Senator. [1:28:54] That concludes the question portion of tonight's debate. [1:28:57] We will end now with closing statements from each of you. [1:29:00] Congressman Collins, since you won the coin toss and elected to get the last word, Senator Ossoff, will you begin your closing statement? [1:29:06] Well, Rick, thanks for having us. [1:29:09] Thank you again to Gray Media. [1:29:11] You know, each time Mike has called himself a trucker tonight, you'd think he's cruising down 85 behind the wheel. [1:29:18] This is a congressman's son who inherited a seat in Congress, who now runs his daddy's trucking company, [1:29:25] who voted seven times for the war in Iran, who voted for the tariffs, who voted to cut your health care, [1:29:32] all so he could give a tax break to data center developers and some of the wealthiest people in the country. [1:29:40] His office has been in cahoots with some of the most notorious white supremacists in America. [1:29:46] He's already brought disgrace to our state. [1:29:49] But I am so grateful to Georgians for investing the trust in me to represent Georgia in the Senate. [1:29:57] I've stood up to the drug companies, to the big tech companies, and to the insurance companies, [1:30:02] who are denying us the care that we need when we need it. [1:30:06] And I humbly ask for your continued support in this election. [1:30:09] Thank you so much for having us. [1:30:11] Congressman Collins, your closing statement. [1:30:12] Yeah, you know, Georgia, we still haven't heard why John Ossoff votes the way he does, [1:30:17] why he votes almost 100 percent of the time with Bernie Sanders, [1:30:21] why he voted against our farmers, why he voted against hardworking Georgians out there, [1:30:27] why he's out there recruiting, supporting, endorsing these Democrat Socialists of America candidates [1:30:33] and being endorsed by Hassan Piker, the guy that said that America deserved 9-11. [1:30:39] Look, there's a reason. Those aren't even Georgia values. Those aren't even American values. [1:30:46] The reason is, is because he doesn't represent us. [1:30:49] He wants to take control of this country with these weird and dangerous ideas with his radical friends. [1:30:56] Listen, help me get to the U.S. Senate. Help me get there. [1:31:02] And I'll answer to Georgia, and I'll deliver. I'll fight for our state, not against it. [1:31:10] You vote for me, and this old truck girl... [1:31:13] Thank you, Congressman. [1:31:14] That concludes tonight's U.S. Senate debate. [1:31:16] Early voting begins this coming Tuesday, October 13th. Election Day is November 3rd. [1:31:21] I'm Rick Fulbaum. Debate Night Live continues next with a special edition of On The Record. [1:31:26] Thanks for joining us. [1:31:27] Atlanta News first. This is a special edition of On The Record. Debate Night Live. [1:33:47] Well, welcome back to Assembly Studios, everyone. [1:33:49] Tonight, the first face-to-face matchup between Georgia candidates at the top of your ballot [1:33:53] are now in the books, and we are back on the record. Good evening. [1:33:56] I'm Doug Reardon. Thank you so much for being with us this night and this week, really. [1:34:00] John Ossoff and Mike Collins just left the debate stage here at Assembly Studios in Atlanta [1:34:05] after a highly anticipated competition. [1:34:07] We had some barbs traded. We talked about health care. We talked about the economy. [1:34:11] And of course, we have a lot to talk about now. [1:34:14] Here's just a little bit of what these two traded back and forth on stage today [1:34:18] in their opening statements to start us off. [1:34:20] Tonight, a united Georgia will hear the trial of Mike Collins. [1:34:27] Mike Collins has brought dishonor to our state. [1:34:30] But my opponent is a radical, and he has left our state less safe, more expensive, and worse off. [1:34:39] He's an extremist who's voted for men to go in girls' sports. [1:34:47] So, joining me now to talk about it, GOP political adviser Corey Ruth, [1:34:51] Democratic political fundraiser Keisha Carter, [1:34:53] Atlanta News First political analyst Dr. Ben Taylor, [1:34:56] and WABE politics reporter Raoul Bally. [1:34:58] Thank you all for being back with us after this. [1:35:00] We all got a chance to sit there and watch it. [1:35:02] Ben, let's start with you. [1:35:03] The trial of Mike Collins, a radical. [1:35:06] These were right out the gate. [1:35:08] These were the attacks that we thought we would hear tonight. [1:35:11] How did each candidate do in fending them off? [1:35:13] Well, I think for those of us who are watching tonight, [1:35:16] if you've seen any advertisements or paid any attention to these candidates, [1:35:19] tonight was sort of a greatest hits on both sides. [1:35:21] So, you know, I think both of them got their charges, and they wanted to levy. [1:35:25] You heard some repeated charges over and over again. [1:35:27] That's probably because they want voters to remember that, [1:35:29] and also everybody's going to clip this and send social media pieces out. [1:35:32] But I think, in the end, John Ossoff was very polished, [1:35:36] and I think Mike Collins did as good a job as he could. [1:35:39] But what I really thought about Mike Collins was really notable, [1:35:42] was that when you have Republicans around the country running in tight races [1:35:45] that are truly just sort of running away from President Trump, [1:35:48] Mike Collins sort of accepted that he's a Trump Republican, [1:35:51] and he talked about President Trump's policies and how he supported them. [1:35:53] That's the bottom line. [1:35:54] It was kind of the opposite of what we saw Rick Jackson do on Tuesday night here [1:35:57] on the same debate stage in Roel. [1:35:58] We know that the number one issue far and away for voters here tonight was the economy. [1:36:02] We heard, again, a myriad of topics tonight from health care to tariffs to the war in Iran. [1:36:07] How did they do on focusing on what we know, again, is this number one issue of people's money? [1:36:12] You saw them connecting multiple questions back to the idea of pocketbooks, [1:36:17] whether it's the war in Iran, whether it's tariffs, connecting back to pocketbooks, [1:36:22] whether you voted for or against what was called the President's Big Beautiful Bill. [1:36:27] All of that kept going back to whether Mike Collins was talking dollars in your pockets [1:36:32] or Ossoff bringing up the idea of tariffs taking money out of your pockets. [1:36:38] There were so many issues that they were bringing back to people's pocketbooks. [1:36:41] And we know that maybe if there was a second issue on people's minds, [1:36:45] certainly it was health care, and we heard a lot about that tonight as well, [1:36:49] not only on the future plans of these candidates but also what they've done in their past. [1:36:54] Take a listen to this exchange on health care just a few minutes ago. [1:36:59] It's a hospital in your own district, Mike, [1:37:01] and now a delivering mother has to drive an hour to get to a facility where she can deliver safely. [1:37:07] It's a disgrace. You still haven't explained it, [1:37:09] and you haven't explained why you voted to double your own constituents' health insurance premiums. [1:37:13] Congressman, 30 seconds for everybody. [1:37:15] 30 seconds is all... The Affordable Care Act is what has caused your insurance to go sky high. [1:37:20] Our premiums have gone through the roof, and the coverage has gone through the floor. [1:37:24] John would never understand that, though. I get it. He doesn't. [1:37:27] He doesn't have to worry about paying for that. [1:37:29] All right, listen, I think we can all agree there's no one right way to do health care. [1:37:36] There's no one way to do health care. [1:37:38] But, Corey, this pinning of the ACA subsidies on Congressman Collins [1:37:42] when he voted to not renew them essentially in this big, beautiful bill that passed last summer, [1:37:47] that was something we probably knew Senator Ossoff was going to do here tonight. [1:37:50] But is that a valid attack? [1:37:52] Well, listen, I think the issue is rising premiums and struggling rural hospitals. [1:37:57] That's what they were discussing today. [1:37:59] And it was largely a blame game. [1:38:01] On one side, Ossoff was saying, hey, this is because you ended the Obamacare subsidies. [1:38:07] And on the other side, you had Collins saying, hey, this is because of Obamacare in the first place. [1:38:12] But one thing we have to remember about Obamacare is that one thing it did not do is address the rising costs of health care. [1:38:21] And so if you go back and you look at a graph, you'll see health care costs rising consistently. [1:38:27] And the reason why is because our system is an insurance system, not a health care system. [1:38:33] And so when the health care providers know that the cost of their service is going to be covered by health care, [1:38:40] by health insurance or by Medicaid or by Medicare, they're going to continue to rise their costs because they know that there's no cap on it. [1:38:48] So it's sort of a chicken or an egg thing. [1:38:51] They did the blame game about whose fault it is. [1:38:56] And I think that's largely going to be a base decision about which one you believe. [1:39:00] Yeah. And Keisha, you know, we heard Congressman Collins say in that in that exchange there that it was the ACA that was making things offensive. [1:39:08] I came to you with a question before we even got to the debate tonight about how premiums were expensive even going into the last couple of years. [1:39:16] So, you know, with this retort, I guess, from Collins on that topic, talking about how there were $218 million in the big, beautiful bill for rural hospitals. [1:39:26] Has the congressman done enough? And to that point, has the senator done enough to make sure that premiums are low enough? [1:39:31] Well, I think the only one that was on stage today that actually has tried to do things that going back to what Corey said to control health care costs is Jon Ossoff. [1:39:39] You've got Congressman Collins. [1:39:41] The only thing that he's been doing is sitting on a committee trying to protect pharmaceutical companies. [1:39:46] So we've got to really look at who's doing what. [1:39:49] I mean, Collins is more making health care a hope and not a plan and saying we're going to make them fall. [1:39:54] But how? Everything he's done has done nothing but make it rise. [1:39:58] And so we have to recognize that and have to hold him accountable for that, which is, I think, the people of Georgia will do, especially those in his district. [1:40:05] And saying we didn't know this was going to happen, I think, is foolish because, as Ossoff said, the Congressional Budget Office told you what was going to happen when you do this. [1:40:13] It happened, and he hasn't answered for it. [1:40:15] Ben, I know your number one rule with debates is do no harm. [1:40:18] That's right. [1:40:19] That is what you would recommend to candidates, right? [1:40:21] I think that's a good rule of thumb for life, too. [1:40:23] But how did they do tonight on that mandate in terms of not hurting themselves and especially going into just a couple days now we have early voting starting? [1:40:32] Well, look, the bottom line is Georgia is an extremely divided state. [1:40:35] So we've got a camp of Democrats, a camp of Republicans, and we've got a small pool of undecided voters. [1:40:39] And I think that, you know, voters have to look at the responses the candidates gave and, you know, are they talking about the issues those undecided voters care about? [1:40:47] And that's really what's going to make the decision here. [1:40:49] So, you know, some of it's style, some of it's substance, and a little bit of both. [1:40:52] And, in the end, that's what voters are going to decide about. [1:40:55] And going off all three points that were just said here, the challenge for Republicans is they're the ones in charge. [1:41:02] That's right. [1:41:03] And so, yes, you know, health costs have gone up over the years. [1:41:07] But when you're the ones in charge, you may be the ones getting the blame. [1:41:10] That's the challenge for Republicans and also actually for Democrats to make that argument. [1:41:14] Well, certainly there's an onus on the majority party. [1:41:17] And, again, hearkening back to what Ben says, you're always kind of against the eight ball when you are in charge. [1:41:22] That's right. [1:41:23] And you're facing these midterm turnovers. [1:41:24] And, you know, another thing I think we all noticed was these comparisons from these candidates to former leaders, current leaders in the White House, right? [1:41:33] Ossoff took every chance he could get to compare Mike Collins to Donald Trump and tying his voting record to Donald Trump's preferences. [1:41:41] And really, Collins did the same thing, not only with President Biden, but going all the way back to President Obama, Corey, and the ACA. [1:41:48] Do you think that, again, we talked about this before the debate. [1:41:52] Now we've got some context for afterwards. [1:41:54] Was it a good idea for Congressman Collins to so closely link his campaign to the president? [1:42:00] I always say yes. [1:42:01] Like, get behind the president of your party at the end of the day. [1:42:06] You can't hide from him, even if you want to, because everyone knows you're a Republican and the president is a Republican as well. [1:42:14] And it's also important to remember that Donald Trump historically carries low approval ratings. [1:42:21] So they have not shown to affect him. [1:42:24] Like, remember, he's won two out of three elections at the presidential level. [1:42:28] His party currently holds the House and the Senate, which means that he's been pretty successful. [1:42:32] His coattails have been pretty successful with a historically low approval rating. [1:42:37] So I think Mike Collins made the right decision. [1:42:39] It's an authentic decision to lean into that. [1:42:42] And so I'll say one other thing. [1:42:44] I thought Mike Collins landed a punch during the debate when he tied John Ossoff to the DSA candidates. [1:42:55] I think in a state like Georgia, when your only introduction to those candidates is what you see on the nightly news and on cable news. [1:43:04] I think that was a real good counterpunch to the Donald Trump comparison. [1:43:08] Yeah, and we did hear a lot of mentions to Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. [1:43:13] We heard mentions of online influencer Hassan Piker, who is a noted Democratic Socialist of America member. [1:43:19] What do you think of this, Keisha? [1:43:21] Because, again, this has become a very common attack that we've seen across this midterm cycle all across the country. [1:43:27] How do you think Ossoff fended it off tonight? [1:43:29] I actually thought he did well. [1:43:30] I think one of the things we've got to clear up is that he did not endorse in that race. [1:43:36] He said that he has to support once the primary was over. [1:43:39] So I think we've got to be clear on that and make sure that that's clear. [1:43:42] But I think who Mike Collins was talking to was, again, the folks that he hangs out with, the folks that are on his campaign. [1:43:48] That was all bird whistle language is what he was trying to do. [1:43:51] And that's the reason why he was bringing up those DSA candidates, not others. [1:43:54] So I don't really think this was about him trying to score punches with real Republicans. [1:43:58] I think he was just talking to his crowd that we all know who all hangs out with him in his office. [1:44:04] All right. Well, we appreciate you all. [1:44:05] There's still a lot more to unpack tonight. [1:44:07] We are just getting started. [1:44:08] We're going to hear from some campaign members next and some surrogates for the candidates coming up as Debate Night Live continues next. [1:44:15] All right. Well, we are back. Debate Night Live continues. [1:47:35] We're breaking down the biggest moments from tonight's U.S. Senate debate between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Mike Collins. [1:47:41] I'm joined now by Charlie Bailey, chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, and also Tim Murtaugh, senior adviser to Congressman Mike Collins. [1:47:48] We appreciate you both being here with us to talk about this, Tim. [1:47:51] Let's start with you. [1:47:53] Certainly, you know, we know that your campaign was coming into this behind in the polls, and tonight was a big opportunity to make up some ground. [1:47:59] How do you think the congressman did out there? [1:48:01] I got to tell you, and this is in no way an exaggeration. Team Collins was thrilled with how the debate went tonight. [1:48:07] I think Mike Collins held Jon Ossoff to account and asked the questions, frankly, no offense to President Company, [1:48:12] asked the questions that a lot of reporters around Georgia have not been asking Jon Ossoff. [1:48:16] And I just don't think that Jon Ossoff could possibly have liked the way that it went tonight. [1:48:20] And I think you could tell in his body language that he was a little bit surprised. [1:48:23] He's used to being in front of adoring crowds. He's not used to being challenged. [1:48:27] We know he doesn't. He's never really had to work hard in his life. [1:48:30] He sounds like he drones on like an NPR narrator of a documentary talking down to people. [1:48:35] Sounds like a college professor, and I don't think that really lands very well. [1:48:38] Mike Collins held him. [1:48:40] And Ossoff, another problem that Ossoff has is he wants to pretend that he has not been a United States senator for the last six years and a guy who has a record. [1:48:47] Mike Collins nailed him on taxes. [1:48:49] When he talks about, oh, we're going to repeal that, he's talking about the tax cuts. [1:48:53] If you pay taxes in Georgia, Jon Ossoff is going to raise your taxes. [1:48:57] That's just a fact. [1:48:58] You heard him say the word repeal tonight. [1:49:00] That's what he was talking about on open borders. [1:49:02] Absolutely crushed Jon Ossoff on open borders. [1:49:05] If you want to go back to violence in the streets and illegal aliens coming across the border unimpeded, by all means, support Jon Ossoff, because that's what he supports on energy. [1:49:14] I'm sorry, you don't get to be a liberal Democrat and then complain about the price of gas. [1:49:20] They want gas to be more expensive because they don't want you driving your gas-powered vehicle. [1:49:26] That is a fact. [1:49:27] On health care, Democrats wrote every word of the entire health care system that everyone hates. [1:49:33] And Jon Ossoff wants to get hired again to write it some more? [1:49:36] I don't think so. [1:49:37] This was a great night for Mike Collins. [1:49:38] We are thrilled. [1:49:39] All right, over to Charlie now, because certainly we know, as we just said about the Collins campaign, [1:49:43] you guys came in up in the polls, up in fundraising. [1:49:45] Do you think that Senator Ossoff did enough tonight to defend his record in front of Georgia? [1:49:50] I think Senator Ossoff showed exactly why he's going to be reelected this fall. [1:49:55] He was strong and he was prepared, and he held Mike Collins to account for both his bigoted actions, [1:50:04] his failure to denounce people associated with KKK and neo-Nazis in his home and in his offices. [1:50:12] He held them to account, and there was a shocking moment there where he challenged and said, [1:50:17] can you at least defend your vote on this war? [1:50:21] Do you want to tell the people of Georgia that this stupid war that they can't prosecute in the Middle East, [1:50:27] that it's driven up gas prices for everybody, driven diesel to an all-time high? [1:50:32] Mike Collins just fumbled around with his pad and stared at his podium there. [1:50:39] Mike was clearly nervous and rattled. [1:50:44] He had this weird hitch where he kept repeating how much time he had to answer a question. [1:50:49] He was clearly thrown off his game and wasn't ready to defend his cost-raising agenda that he supported. [1:50:58] And one thing everybody agrees on is that Mike Collins loves Donald Trump, and he will do whatever Donald Trump has told him to do. [1:51:06] That's how he's carried out his time in Congress. [1:51:09] And that's clearly what he thinks the people of Georgia want and need. [1:51:14] But I think the people of Georgia have shown that they're tired of the Trump, Collins, Jackson cost-raising agenda, [1:51:22] and they're going to re-elect John Ossoff. [1:51:24] Now, tonight was about tonight. Tomorrow, you both have to go out there and defend either your candidates or your party in these upcoming midterms. [1:51:30] We have early voting starting very soon, and so I wanted to ask you quickly before we run out of time here. [1:51:35] Tim, what will you be doing in these next couple days and weeks to get voters to the polls, and I mean voters beyond the base? [1:51:42] Yeah, well, Mike Collins has been. I mean, in fact, since the Republican primary, he has done four times as many public events as John Ossoff has in that same time period. [1:51:51] Not talking about primary events, talking about general election events, four times. [1:51:54] So Mike Collins is going to keep going out and talking to the people of Georgia and asking them directly, face-to-face, for their votes. [1:52:00] And he's going to be telling them exactly what he went over here tonight. [1:52:03] John Ossoff will raise your taxes. John Ossoff will reopen the border. [1:52:06] John Ossoff will make it more difficult for you to be able to find... [1:52:10] Remember, Democrats, the last time they had power, the first thing they did was attack domestic energy. [1:52:14] They want high gas prices. Don't let them fool you into thinking that they want them lower. [1:52:19] It's a policy goal for them to raise taxes. It's not the same as having prices temporarily spike when you're trying to rid the world of the worst terror-sponsoring regime on the planet. [1:52:29] That is the message that Mike Collins will be continuing to take to the voters of Georgia for the next 20-some days as we head home. [1:52:35] And, Tim, we know that the economy is the number one issue on people's mind. [1:52:38] Sure. [1:52:39] There's a temporary spike in gas prices. Can you guarantee, can the congressman guarantee that these will only be temporary? [1:52:43] Because he was up there defending the tariffs today. He was up there defending the war on Iran, which we know are the things driving these high prices. [1:52:49] Yeah. There is a difference between seeking, seeking high fuel prices, because it is your policy goal, versus trying to rid the world of the worst terror sponsor on the planet. [1:52:59] And yet, when that war is over, and it will be, then prices will come back down. [1:53:04] Talking about tariffs, George Washington used tariffs. [1:53:07] Tariffs, John Ossoff talked about tariffs like they're a permanent situation. [1:53:10] They're not. All presidents use tariffs, and they come and go. [1:53:14] They are a way that presidents use, a tool that presidents have to defend this country. [1:53:19] John Ossoff would love to talk about that, because there is no chance that he's ever going to vote to cut your taxes. [1:53:25] And that is a fact. You never heard the word tax come out of John Ossoff's mouth tonight, because he doesn't want to tell you. [1:53:30] Well, Charlie, before we get to you, I want to give you a chance to respond to what Tim said there about the taxes in particular, [1:53:36] because we did spend a good amount of time on tax policy tonight. [1:53:39] I will agree, we didn't hear much from Senator Ossoff on how to bring the tax burden down. [1:53:43] What have you heard from him in your conversations with him and his campaign about bringing that tax burden down? [1:53:48] Because we know that is a huge issue for people right now. [1:53:51] Well, I think, I mean, the burden that people are dealing with, and let's be clear here, [1:53:56] the tax policy at issue is what was in the big billionaire bill that was passed last year with the votes of Mike Collins. [1:54:04] Ossoff said he'd repeal that. If you pay taxes, you've got a tax cut in that bill. [1:54:08] My friend's a little excitable here. [1:54:10] No, go ahead. [1:54:11] I mean, that policy that Mike Collins supported and that he's proud of, what that did is it provided a million dollars a year for the billionaires in this country for the next 10 years. [1:54:23] And it did that at the expense of working people, the 300,000 Georgians that have lost their health insurance this year because of Mike Collins, [1:54:30] the million Georgians that have had their health insurance premiums double because of the vote of Mike Collins. [1:54:36] That's the tax policy at issue. [1:54:38] All right. Now, real quick, before we let you guys go, Charlie, I want you to tell us how you are going to be campaigning [1:54:42] and driving party apparatuses in these last couple of days here before early voting. [1:54:46] I mean, look, what my friend here shows in what Mike Collins, if you want to call that a performance, [1:54:52] a very nervous, shaky performance, shows that the Republicans are trying to outrun reality with some theory and some made-up stuff. [1:55:03] The reality of the people of Georgia are dealing with is that they are paying high prices at the grocery store, at the gas station, [1:55:13] because of the choices that Republicans have made, Donald Trump, Mike Collins, [1:55:18] and the Republicans that Rick Jackson has supported over the years here in the state of Georgia. [1:55:22] That has left the American dream less attainable now for the people of Georgia than it was 23 years ago when they took power, [1:55:29] less attainable from when Mike Collins and Donald Trump got to work raising the cost of everything across the board. [1:55:36] And so what we are going to continue to do, both the Democratic Party of Georgia and Senator Assault's campaign, [1:55:43] is remind people of that contrast. [1:55:45] And if you want somebody in the Senate that actually gives a darn about working folks, [1:55:50] that isn't going to carry the water for Donald Trump, his family, the billionaires, and the big corporations, [1:55:55] and drive up your costs, you don't have to put up with this. [1:55:58] You can do something else. [1:55:59] And that's vote for John Ossoff for U.S. Senate and Democrats up and down the ballot. [1:56:03] All right, Charlie Bailey, Tim Murtaugh from the DPG and the Collins campaign, [1:56:07] we appreciate that spirited, lively debate. [1:56:09] We've had a lot of it tonight. [1:56:10] We are going to be off to a break. [1:56:12] We'll see you on the other side of it for more on The Record Debate Night Live. [1:56:15] Welcome back. [1:59:32] The countdown to the midterms is on. [1:59:34] Right now, we're just about three weeks away from actual election day. [1:59:37] Remember, voters can begin casting their ballots, though, in just a couple of days. [1:59:41] Early voting starts Tuesday, October 13th, and runs through October 30th. [1:59:46] Election Day is November 3rd, and if you're planning to vote by mail, [1:59:49] remember to request your ballot by October 23rd, all important dates. [1:59:53] You can do that on the Secretary of State's website. [1:59:56] Just type in nvp.sos.ga.gov. [2:00:00] That is where you'll find absentee ballot portals and where you can view a sample ballot for your district. [2:00:06] There is a lot on your ballot this fall, and we want to make sure that you're prepared before you head into the voting booth. [2:00:11] So, scan the code on your screen. [2:00:13] We'll get that up for you. [2:00:14] To view the Atlanta News First Midterm Voter Guide, Debate Night Live continues right after this break. [2:00:20] Power AI? [2:00:27] They can't shut me up. [2:00:28] Why a new data center at a power plant once scheduled to be shut down and residents fired up. [2:00:33] Data centers and their impact. [2:00:35] Our independent investigation tonight at 10. [2:00:39] It was my very first accident. [2:00:41] Montlick was there every step of the way. [2:00:44] They were open and honest throughout the whole entire process. [2:00:47] They really explained everything, so I had realistic expectations of what the outcome would be. [2:00:56] They handled everything very professionally. [2:00:59] I didn't have that feeling of the unknown. [2:01:02] Do not hesitate to give Montlick's injury attorneys the call. [2:01:06] A jam-packed weekend of CW Sports kicks off. [2:01:12] Well, welcome back to Debate Night Live, everyone. [2:03:38] Georgia has a U.S. Senate seat up for grabs this fall. [2:03:41] It's an important one. [2:03:42] Democrat John Ossoff and Republican Mike Collins just spent an hour explaining why they think the job should be theirs. [2:03:48] Fill in questions from Georgia journalists live during the first U.S. Senate debate in the 2026 season here in Georgia. [2:03:55] Right now, I'm joined by a few of those journalists from WALB News in Albany, Mariah Norman, and from WRDW in Augusta, Will Rio. [2:04:04] And we appreciate you both not only being here today on the set, but also for your questions. [2:04:08] I think people should know that these were questions you guys came up with. [2:04:11] So if they were impressed, great. [2:04:13] If not, we'll blame the producers, I suppose. [2:04:16] But Mariah, I want to start with you. [2:04:18] We talked about AI, the potential that it could have here in Georgia, the data centers that are needed to house all of this emerging technology. [2:04:25] You posed a really good question about the potential, but also the risk of AI to these sitting congressmen. [2:04:32] Did you have your question answered? [2:04:34] How do you think they did on the response? [2:04:36] Well, I think I want to specifically hit on, of course, AI, but also data centers with Mike Collins' response of leaving it up to the counties [2:04:45] and the residents living in there to make the decisions of what technology developments they want to see in that community. [2:04:52] I've done plenty of stories with emerging technology, specifically data centers with South Georgia residents, [2:04:59] saying that they are completely opposed to it and have many concerns. [2:05:04] So I'm very interested. [2:05:06] He answered the question of leaving it up to the residents living there, but how you're able to do that is another follow-up question to it. [2:05:14] But just knowing my South Georgia viewers and the stories that I've done, they're pretty opposed to it. [2:05:20] Okay, hold that thought, because I want to ask you a little bit more about that. [2:05:23] There was also, as we saw tonight, I don't think we were surprised by this, but these candidates took every opportunity they could to turn your questions into attacks. [2:05:31] We saw that happen with your data center question. [2:05:33] I want to let people hear kind of how this devolved into an attack based on a data center question, talking about donors. [2:05:41] Take a listen here. [2:05:42] John Ossoff, he's got his major donor, one of his mega donors, his data center billionaire Reid Hoffman, also one of Epstein's buddies out there, [2:05:52] has funneled money into his campaign. [2:05:54] He's got to answer to those people. [2:05:56] He doesn't have to answer to local people. [2:05:58] Mike Collins voted to take that money out of your pocket and out of your community and give it instead to data center developers. [2:06:06] And that's the problem, Mike. [2:06:07] It's not just that you've hired half the Third Reich to staff your congressional office and you have promoted neo-Nazi content online. [2:06:14] It's that you're robbing your constituents to subsidize your donors. [2:06:17] I want to know if you will commit to voting to repeal that data center tax scam that you voted for. [2:06:22] Okay. [2:06:26] So in that exchange, we hear attacks about donors who have connections to data centers and taxes connected to data centers. [2:06:32] But Mariah, you mentioned that you've covered a lot of these stories. [2:06:35] People have concerns about data centers in their communities. [2:06:38] I can't imagine they're about donors and taxes, though. [2:06:41] What are the real on-the-ground concerns that people are telling you they have about these facilities? [2:06:45] The rising utility cost is one of them. [2:06:48] That power grid strain that is going to affect the homeowners living there, what they are paying as a result of it. [2:06:55] The water usage as well and, I mean, just also farmland. [2:07:00] That is what South Georgia is for agriculture, which is very important to the state of Georgia. [2:07:07] They are concerned that their land will be taken from them, used with loud noise, power usage that will drive up their utility cost. [2:07:17] Those are their concerns. [2:07:18] Excellent. [2:07:19] Thank you for that. [2:07:20] And, Will, of course, you had a lot of focus tonight on agriculture. [2:07:23] Your questions, at least two of them, were about agriculture, the impact of tariffs on our local farmers. [2:07:29] And I know, of course, I spent some time in Albany as well. [2:07:32] I know it's big down there. [2:07:33] I know that there are lots of Augusta farmers, lots of small Augusta farmers at that. [2:07:37] Really tough bankruptcies are up. [2:07:39] Certainly, we're seeing federal programs for farmers to get cut. [2:07:42] Hurricane Helene relief has taken forever to get to some of these folks. [2:07:45] And so, you know, as you talk to farmers, who I assume are informing some of the way that you went about forming your questions tonight, what are they telling you about the situation right now? [2:07:55] Yeah, the biggest thing, if you're familiar, two years ago, Hurricane Helene hit the CSRA where Augusta is pretty hard. [2:08:02] And recovery, like you said, the money has been very slow. [2:08:05] And I know that both candidates did touch on that in the debate. [2:08:08] They did answer the question. [2:08:09] And, yeah, it's something that is a real concern. [2:08:13] They needed to be able to plant their crops. [2:08:15] And Mike Collins has campaigned on supporting those farmers and those small businesses as well. [2:08:21] And, you know, he hit John Ossoff with plenty of questions. [2:08:25] Senator Ossoff with plenty of questions about where that money is and how long it's taken to get in the hands of some of these small farmers. [2:08:31] So, again, Hurricane Helene has been a huge focus for our area. [2:08:35] Two years later, we're still talking about that. [2:08:37] So a big major focus for our biggest industry in Georgia. [2:08:41] Certainly. [2:08:42] And we also heard a little bit about how the tariffs are playing an impact on our Georgia farmers as well. [2:08:47] There's no, you know, I mean, in no uncertain terms, if you go out and talk to a farmer, they'll tell you just how much they're being impacted by these tariffs. [2:08:54] You heard Congressman Collins defend those tariffs tonight. [2:08:58] You heard Senator Ossoff attack him over the head with it constantly. [2:09:02] When it comes to tariffs and when it comes to some of the questions that you were posing to these candidates tonight, [2:09:07] how did you think they did on defending their stances? [2:09:10] Yeah, I think it just ended up with attacks, which is something that we've seen all night. [2:09:13] And I think the biggest question was, you know, what are they going to do to help these small farmers? [2:09:18] And I think I've been saying this, the buzzword of 2026 is affordability. [2:09:22] That's what we've been hearing from voters from all across our viewing area, [2:09:26] is what are they going to do to help lower the cost of fuel, big with diesel right now with a lot of those farmers. [2:09:34] Fertilizer prices are huge with the war in Iran as well. [2:09:36] So I think that they needed to do a little bit more to answer the question for some of those small businesses [2:09:42] and the farmers in our area and how they're going to help drive down those costs rather than attack each other on policies [2:09:48] and in which way they vote. [2:09:50] I think I know which one farmers would rather hear. [2:09:52] So Will Rio from WRDW in Augusta, Mariah Norman from WALB in Albany, thank you both. [2:09:57] You did fantastic. [2:09:58] Appreciate you being here tonight. [2:10:00] Debate Night Live continues right after this. [2:10:02] Don't go away. [2:10:03] And welcome back to Debate Night Live. [2:13:24] It's been a busy week here at Atlanta News First and Assembly Studios. [2:13:28] Right now, we want to bring in the moderator of tonight's U.S. Senate debate between John Ossoff and Mike Collins, [2:13:33] Atlanta News First anchor Rick Fulbaum, my on-the-record co-host, [2:13:36] along with Atlanta News First statewide reporter Abby Casores, who had some great questions tonight. [2:13:40] I'm so proud of you guys. [2:13:42] What a fantastic week. [2:13:43] Have we had fun? [2:13:44] Fun? [2:13:45] I don't know that I would say fun. [2:13:46] Is that the wrong word to use? [2:13:48] I feel like we've done a service for the people of Georgia. [2:13:53] It was a lot of work putting it all together. [2:13:55] But I think that the candidates, both Tuesday night in the gubernatorial debate and tonight in the Senate debate, [2:14:02] they were given a fair opportunity to make their case to voters. [2:14:07] And we'll see what happens soon enough. [2:14:10] We'll see much soon enough. [2:14:12] We've got early voting starting in a couple of days. [2:14:14] And, Abby, I want to come to you next because you asked this question about elections, which in Georgia is always a hot topic. [2:14:20] It has been for many, many years. [2:14:22] Before we get your take on how the answers went, I want to play everybody just a short snippet of the response to your question, [2:14:30] talking about the security of elections here in Georgia. [2:14:34] Mike Collins still believes the 2020 election was stolen. [2:14:37] Mike Collins has supported Donald Trump's effort to overturn the election. [2:14:41] And he wants to give your tax dollars to the violent thugs and criminals who sacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. [2:14:49] Mike Collins is attacking your voting rights. [2:14:51] John Ossoff has voted against the SAVE Act numerous times. [2:14:55] Georgia, you're right, has a voter ID law. [2:14:58] And we've seen historic people, amounts of people that have voted since that has been in place. [2:15:03] But we need... [2:15:05] So Collins went on to say there that people will feel confident about voting in elections when elections are safe. [2:15:14] Ossoff took it way further. [2:15:15] He made that comment about Collins if he were in the 60s being the way that things were back then. [2:15:20] He would have picked up, in his words, a Billy Club to protest against some of this. [2:15:24] So this, I mean, this was a really heated exchange. [2:15:26] We knew it probably would be. [2:15:27] Did you get your question answered? [2:15:29] I don't know if I did. [2:15:31] Because we didn't get to see them say, where do the state's rights and the federal rights really step in? [2:15:38] And so we really didn't get a full answer. [2:15:41] But that was kind of a lot of the questions, was there were these clippable moments that they were trying to go back to, [2:15:48] things that they had talked about in their campaign ads. [2:15:51] And we saw that kind of play out, especially with that question. [2:15:54] Yeah, so much of this campaign has played out either on social media or in front of a camera lens. [2:15:58] Was there anything, Rick, that stood out to you in particular tonight? [2:16:01] I think of what we saw with Rick Jackson on Tuesday night, where he had made this big case about connecting himself to Donald Trump [2:16:08] and then kind of shying away from that during the debate. [2:16:11] That was actually, I think, the opposite of what we saw Mike Collins do. [2:16:14] Yeah, we heard a lot about Trump tonight. [2:16:15] We did. [2:16:16] So, yeah, that jumped out at me. [2:16:19] Something else that jumped out at me is I think that John Ossoff would make a good debate moderator. [2:16:23] It seems like he has a lot of questions, even though the rules forbid him from asking his opponent questions. [2:16:29] He, as we all heard, he continuously tried to press Collins on a number of different things, which Collins just ignored. [2:16:39] You know, he really didn't take the bait. [2:16:41] But, you know, I think that, you know, it was interesting and it was a little bit hard for me from where I, from my vantage point, [2:16:51] to sort of, you know, judge exactly how everybody was doing because I was so concerned with trying to keep everybody in line [2:16:58] and make sure that we were going through the show the way that we, you know, the debate the way that we wanted to. [2:17:03] But, you know, I think that both candidates, I know both candidates walked out of here feeling like they had been treated fairly. [2:17:09] It seemed like to me, and tell me if you agree, that the model for both candidates tonight was to tout an accomplishment and then hurl an attack. [2:17:16] And it didn't seem to matter what the question was about, right? [2:17:19] So we had questions about agriculture that ended on policy on immigration. [2:17:23] We had questions on tariffs that ended on connections to people's staffs. [2:17:28] Did you feel that they were able to stay on message at least enough so that voters could get some semblance of what their policy was on these issues? [2:17:35] I think they were able to stay on their message. [2:17:37] You know, I think that they didn't always answer the questions as we asked them. [2:17:41] And, you know, there were times when they started bringing things up that I knew we were going to be asking about a little bit down the line. [2:17:48] Yeah. [2:17:49] You know, so that was interesting because I was trying to keep, you know, in my head, keep track of what had been said because I knew that we were going to have a similar question, you know, that was coming, you know, down the pike a little bit. [2:18:00] But, you know, look, we talk to politicians all the time. [2:18:04] You know, they say what they want to say sometimes no matter what question they're asked. [2:18:10] And I think that, you know, in some ways we some regards we got some we got some answers to our questions in a lot of ways, probably more than answers. [2:18:18] We got to hear what the candidates wanted to say, what they walked in the door tonight planning to say. [2:18:24] Yeah, I think that says a lot about your priorities. [2:18:26] If you come in and you answer a question one way or another, that's really their prerogative in this. [2:18:30] Yeah. [2:18:31] So I think it is a kind of a referendum on their priorities. [2:18:34] And so as we got a couple of days left till early voting, a couple of weeks left until people go to the ballot box. [2:18:40] We're all getting right back to work tomorrow, covering these campaigns, not just the Senate, but everyone up and down the ballot. [2:18:45] What do you think in particular these Senate candidates need to do in their respective campaigns over the course of the next couple of days and weeks if they want to end up in the Senate next year? [2:18:54] I think getting more touch points. [2:18:56] I think that's what we see can help try to sway these undecided voters going to a lot more campaign events. [2:19:03] And having those types of conversations, we see right now that people are really struggling to afford things like groceries. [2:19:10] So getting into those communities, explaining this is my plan. [2:19:13] This is who I'm going to work with. [2:19:14] This is how it's going to impact your community. [2:19:16] I think that is really the best way to get to those remaining undecided voters. [2:19:22] Yeah. [2:19:23] Rick, this was a big deal for Atlanta News First. [2:19:25] This was a big deal for Gray Media and Assembly Studios. [2:19:28] We could not be more happy with the team. [2:19:31] And this is probably a good time to shout out all of the people that worked incredibly hard on this. [2:19:35] Oh, my goodness. [2:19:36] No one more so than you. [2:19:37] So many people. [2:19:38] So many people behind the scenes in front of us and over there, everywhere. [2:19:42] And this could not have happened if everybody hadn't done such an amazing job. [2:19:46] So I feel really proud to have been a part of it. [2:19:48] Yeah. [2:19:49] Team effort all the way up and down. [2:19:50] Well, thank you guys for not only coming on right now, but everything that you both have done to make this a reality tonight. [2:19:56] Again, I'll reiterate that I'm very proud of both of you. [2:19:58] And it's an honor. [2:19:59] Proud of you too, Doug. [2:20:00] Should we do like a big team hug? [2:20:03] Now when we're D-Mike, look at us. [2:20:05] Hey, all right. [2:20:06] O-T-R. [2:20:07] O-T-R. [2:20:08] All right. [2:20:09] Well, we're going to head to a break and maybe hug a little more because we're almost in the home stretch. [2:20:13] We'll see you on the other side of it. [2:20:15] All right. [2:23:37] Welcome back, everyone. [2:23:38] We're getting down to it here, but lots more to talk about. [2:23:40] I'm once again joined by my panelists, GOP political advisor Corey Ruth, Democratic political fundraiser Keisha Carter, Atlanta News First political analyst Dr. Ben Taylor, and WABE politics reporter Raul Bally. [2:23:52] That's as fast as I can do that. [2:23:53] All right. [2:23:54] So let's talk about tariffs because this was obviously coming into this. [2:23:57] I mean, that's a huge piece of the affordability puzzle here, right? [2:24:00] We know that obviously gas prices, food prices, they are high. [2:24:03] But listen to this exchange over tariffs. [2:24:06] It took Congressman Collins a while. [2:24:07] He did end up defending these tariffs in this exchange. [2:24:10] The tariffs now are making it fair and making sure, just like the fellow I talked about with two days ago that said he was getting his brains beat in because China was bringing in the same goods he was manufacturing right here in Putnam County. [2:24:26] And he couldn't compete with them because they don't care if they don't make money. [2:24:30] See, John Ossoff doesn't. [2:24:31] He still won't answer why he voted to raise your taxes and not let you keep more money. [2:24:36] Thank you, Congressman. [2:24:38] He thinks the federal government is the answer. [2:24:39] Thank you, Congressman. [2:24:40] Senator Ossoff, you have 60 seconds. [2:24:41] Well, you just heard Mike Collins say the tariffs are working. [2:24:46] Go buy groceries. [2:24:47] No one in this state seriously believes these tariffs are working, Congressman. [2:24:52] All right. [2:24:56] Well, we already talked about the fact that the economy is chief on people's minds. [2:25:00] How does Congressman Collins defend these tariffs when many people kind of tie them into these high prices that we're seeing at the pump and the grocery store? [2:25:10] I think you just saw it there. [2:25:12] He's also trying to bring in other issues and other things that, you know, Senator Ossoff has voted for. [2:25:18] And he is trying to defend it. [2:25:20] He was talking about there, you know, with the business in Putnam County, which is in his district. [2:25:26] So you saw a good bit of it tonight where it would be partially answering a question but then bringing up something else against their opponent. [2:25:36] And so you just saw it there a little bit. [2:25:38] Yeah. [2:25:39] And, Ben, is that effective? [2:25:40] Well, the difficulty here is that public opinion is pretty clear across the country and including what little data we have in Georgia is that Georgians do not like these tariffs. [2:25:49] Americans do not like these tariffs. [2:25:50] And the thing about tariffs is that they are, in fact, taxes. [2:25:53] They are taxes on imported goods. [2:25:55] So that is just a reality. [2:25:58] And they raise prices. [2:25:59] And so the fact of the matter is that Americans don't like them. [2:26:02] We spent decades trying to have more free trade. [2:26:04] That was sort of a policy of both Republicans and Democrats, by the way. [2:26:07] This was bipartisan, actually. [2:26:09] And so it's interesting to see this development in this race. [2:26:11] And, again, like, I have to remind everybody, as we said earlier, that across the country, Republicans are running away from these policies or at least trying to moderate them in some sense. [2:26:20] Congressman Collins, to his credit, is not. [2:26:23] Because, as Corey pointed out earlier, this is who he is. [2:26:25] And, you know, Georgians can evaluate that on their own terms. [2:26:28] We'll step in there, Corey, for the Congressman. [2:26:30] It's a tough thing. [2:26:31] I mean, it is a tough thing to defend something that people view as making these prices higher. [2:26:36] Yeah, but you make a good point. [2:26:38] What people view, right? [2:26:40] So this is a narrative battle. [2:26:42] Tariffs, America has higher labor costs, meaning hiring American workers costs more than what it costs around the world. [2:26:50] We also have higher regulatory standards, which means the cost of goods served in America is higher. [2:26:57] So tariffs balances that out. [2:26:59] It raises the cost of goods made in other countries. [2:27:03] CPI, which is the measure of inflation growth, prior to Independence Day, when Donald Trump imposed tariffs, was 3.3 percent. [2:27:12] It's 3.3 percent today. [2:27:13] And so it's a narrative game. [2:27:16] And so leaning in is the right thing to do. [2:27:19] Republicans have to get better defending this policy. [2:27:22] You can't have it both ways. [2:27:24] We can't say we need to raise. [2:27:25] We need more regulations. [2:27:27] We need higher standards. [2:27:28] We need environmental regulations. [2:27:30] We need to raise the minimum wage. [2:27:32] We need A.I. [2:27:33] We need automation. [2:27:34] And then say, hey, we're going to raise your wages while, at the same time, cost of goods serves as higher in America and we're in a globalized economy. [2:27:44] There has to be a balance. [2:27:46] And tariffs, I'm not arguing that tariffs is the only solution or the best solution, but he's the only one offering a solution. [2:27:55] No one else is doing that. [2:27:57] They're just saying tariffs is bad. [2:27:59] I think at the kitchen table, when I go to buy eggs, these tariffs, the when buying steel, when we're buying anything, we just talked, heard them talking about everything that's coming through the straits or not coming through the straits is higher. [2:28:14] The tariffs that the president is putting on everything, it's not a fantasy that people are seeing higher prices. [2:28:21] This isn't a narrative. [2:28:22] This is actually what is happening. [2:28:24] So I don't think we can call it a narrative when people are like, I paid this for this 12 months ago and now I'm paying it for this. [2:28:32] These aren't narratives. [2:28:33] These are people's actual pockets. [2:28:34] Their wages are not rising. [2:28:36] The cost of living is going up. [2:28:39] And then you have a congressman that's defending everything that's being pointed to as to why it's going up. [2:28:45] It does not make sense. [2:28:46] And for both the professor and for Corey, how do you put that in a 30-second ad or a 30-second social media reel? [2:28:53] That may be the challenge for Republicans. [2:28:56] That's absolutely the challenge. [2:28:57] It certainly could be. [2:28:58] All right, we have about 60 seconds left. [2:29:00] I want everybody's final thoughts here on how tonight went or on how this remaining few weeks and days really before early voting is going to go for these candidates' role. [2:29:10] I'm looking forward to seeing what adjustments both candidates make before their next debate next week. [2:29:15] Ben. [2:29:16] Well, the biggest thing is what kind of afterlife did the clips that come out of this debate have in the next 24 to 48 hours? [2:29:23] That's going to be a big deal. [2:29:24] It's the Internet, so probably just about 48 hours. [2:29:27] All right, Corey. [2:29:28] Well, I'm looking to see how much of Rick Jackson's investment in the campaign will drive up Republican turnout and to the benefit of Mike Collins. [2:29:39] I will also be paying attention to that, Keisha. [2:29:41] I think it was just a master class from John Ossoff of how to debate properly and how to destroy your opponent on stage. [2:29:48] All right. [2:29:49] Well, for all of us here at Assembly Studios, we want to thank you for tuning in, not just tonight, but if you tuned in Tuesday as well. [2:29:55] Thank you for that. [2:29:56] I'm Doug Reardon. [2:29:57] We appreciate our panel and all of our guests, and be sure to join us on the record every Sunday morning, shameless plug, at 11 to stay on top of the latest issues impacting you and your family. [2:30:07] All of us here at Assembly Studios and Gray Media and Atlanta News First, thank you. [2:30:12] There are now 26 days until the midterms. [2:30:15] Have a great night. [2:30:16] Thank you for watching A&F Plus. [2:30:24] For more breaking news, live coverage, and your community stories, download the Atlanta News First app. [2:30:29] You can also watch us on YouTube, Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV. [2:30:34] To join the conversation on YouTube Live, visit our channel and hit subscribe. [2:30:38] You can also listen to the Atlanta News First podcast by searching Atlanta News First on your preferred listening platform.