周二，参议员乔恩・奥索夫与亚利桑那州参议员马克・凯利同台，发表了一番猛烈抨击特朗普的言论，这已成为他竞选活动的标志性操作，也标志着他与白宫之间持续发酵的纷争进入新阶段。
奥索夫表示：“没有什么比这件事更能说明当下的时局：这位逃避征兵、品行不端的总统，鲁莽将国家拖入一场不知如何收场、更无法取胜的战争，还试图囚禁这位代表美国英雄精神的人。” 他这番话，指的是凯利因参与一段呼吁军人拒绝执行非法命令的视频，与特朗普政府产生冲突一事。
数月以来，奥索夫一直采用固定竞选策略：每月举办一场大型造势集会，用通俗易懂的简短话术痛批特朗普及其共和党对手，让这些尖锐言论在网络广泛传播。
奥索夫自称手机里没有任何社交软件应用，却深谙如何抓住流量密码，这点在民主党政客中少有对手，能与之相比的或许只有纽约市长佐兰・马马达尼、众议员亚历山德里亚・奥卡西奥 － 科尔特斯等凭借短视频走红的政客。这也让他频繁被外界视作 2028 年总统大选潜在人选，不过他坚称无意参选更高职位，当前重心是保住自己的参议员席位。
奥索夫一直围绕腐败问题、高物价以及伊朗战事抨击特朗普。传播度最高的批评大多针对总统本人，同时他还将共和党对手、众议员迈克・柯林斯描绘成特朗普的 “傀儡”，周二更是称其为 “人人都能攻击的靶子”。
此前奥索夫在演讲中点名特朗普亲信娜塔莉・哈普，相关发言在社交平台 X 收获数百万播放量，引发他与白宫新一轮政治对立。
他在周日竞选集会上说道：“林肯号军舰上的水兵在为他作战，国家弹药与石油储备被无谓消耗，总统开会打瞌睡，忙着打高尔夫、炒股。”
他继续称：“他根本不想履行总统职责，一心只想修建宴会厅，和娜塔莉乘坐卡塔尔埃米尔赠送的、防护薄弱的空中宫殿四处旅行。” 娜塔莉即总统行政助理哈普。周二的活动上，奥索夫没有再提及哈普。
这番言论很快引来白宫反击。周一被问及相关发言时，特朗普将这位佐治亚州参议员比作喜剧角色皮・威・赫尔曼；白宫通讯主任史蒂文・张也在社交平台发文攻击奥索夫。
周二，奥索夫与凯利同台亮相。凯利近期因和特朗普政府产生矛盾受到全美关注，他的妻子加布丽埃勒・吉福兹曾担任众议员，2011 年遭遇枪击暗杀未遂。
本次活动地点设在佐治亚州哥伦布市，两位知名民主党人同台，虽然核心是为奥索夫的连任造势，却也让不少民主党人开始设想未来总统竞选搭档人选，即便奥索夫多次否认有意参选总统。
奥索夫开场介绍二人时开玩笑说：“两位杰出的爱国者与英雄来到现场，很高兴带来自干旱地区的各位感受一下潮湿气候。”
凯利沿用了奥索夫连任竞选的核心论调，指责特朗普政府滥用公权力。
“如果你反感他们利用司法部，将政府工具化用来对付民众，我完全理解。大家或许还记得，去年 11 月我发表过相关言论。” 他指的是军方命令相关视频引发的政府施压风波。
随后两人展开长时间对话，一同表达担忧、抨击特朗普，并呼吁选民行动起来。奥索夫表示：“我想对总统仅剩的支持者说，请对比他许下的承诺和最终结果，据此投出选票。” 无意角逐更高职位
面对外界关于 2028 大选的猜测，奥索夫及其团队保持谨慎，刻意和相关话题划清界限。他多次表态，完全无意参选更高职位，眼下只专注本届参议员竞选。
周一晚间，奥索夫在节目采访中称：“我无意参加 2028 年总统大选，坦白说，现在根本不想讨论 2028 大选这类猜想。”
凯利曾进入 2024 年大选民主党副总统候选人候选名单，他对此表态更为开放，在多个公开场合承认自己有所考量，但尚未下定决心参选。今年早些时候，他造访初选关键州新罕布什尔州时，接受当地媒体采访表示：“我还没有做出决定，虽然思考过，但暂无定论。”
两位参议员都具备出色的舆论传播能力，并且在传统红州拿下激烈选战，在民主党内部拥有很高呼声。
即便奥索夫试图淡化 2028 年参选传闻，如果他能在佐治亚这个摇摆州赢得 2026 年选举，其总统候选人的竞争力将会大幅提升。
资深民主党策略师杰西・弗格森评价：“民主党人常常要么制造对立，要么传递主张，奥索夫两者兼顾。他不断敲打特朗普博取关注，但每一次抨击都紧扣腐败带来的后果，言论不会只有攻击性而没有核心主张。”
本届参议院选举中，奥索夫是唯一一名在特朗普 2024 年胜选的州谋求连任的民主党参议员，也是本届处境最危险的在任民主党参议员。目前他对阵柯林斯处于优势，民主党寄望拿下该席位，争取 11 月重夺参议院多数席位。
6 月福克斯新闻民调显示，奥索夫领先柯林斯 13 个百分点，不过两党策略师都预测，选举最后几个月选情会逐步收紧。奥索夫也是民主党筹款能力最强的政客之一，自去年年初至今，累计筹得 7720 万美元竞选资金，6 月底结余 4260 万美元。
到场选民普遍看好这位佐治亚州参议员。来自哥伦布市 70 岁的约翰尼・弗莱克斯表示：“他说的内容很清楚，基本说出了许多佐治亚民众乃至全国民众的心声，没有越界失言。”
哥伦布市市议员布鲁斯・赫夫谈及奥索夫参选总统的可能性：“我支持他参选。我一直坚定支持他，从他第一次竞选开始便是如此。他在国会善于跨党派协作，坚守家庭价值观，待人友善，我会全力支持他。”
尽管柯林斯以及共和党试图将奥索夫和民主社会主义派系绑定，但奥索夫一直谨慎处理民主党内部路线之争。
他在 6 月接受 CNN 采访时称：“我很少纠结民主党内的派系斗争，派系分歧确实存在，但更多只存在于将党内初选当作全部政治舞台的群体之中。”
奥索夫还获得跨党派支持，佐治亚州已有两名共和党市长公开表态支持他，而非柯林斯。周二演讲中，他专门提到这份背书，并进一步抨击共和党对手。
“大家或许知道，瓦尔多斯塔保守派共和党市长如今站在我们这边，佐治亚州蒂夫顿共和党市长同样加入我们。未来数周，还会有更多跨党派盟友加盟。这场竞选面向所有期盼正派、理性、称职优质公共服务的民众。” 奥索夫说道。
无论对于奥索夫个人政治前途，还是民主党重夺参议院控制权的目标而言，这场选举都不容有失。凯利周二也强调了这一点。
“想要夺回参议院多数席位，这里就是主战场。如果奥索夫无法连任，我们就无法实现目标。” 这位亚利桑那州参议员说道。
Ossoff denounces Trump as ‘draft－dodging， crook president，’ intensifying White House feud
Sen． Jon Ossoff stood next to Arizona Sen． Mark Kelly on Tuesday and delivered the kind of anti－Trump broadside that has become a campaign signature， marking the latest round in an escalating feud with the White House．
“I don’t think anything illustrates the times more aptly than that the draft－dodging， crook president， who has plunged our nation recklessly into a war he knows not how to end or to win， tried to imprison this man， who embodies American heroism，” Ossoff said， referring toKelly’s clashwith the administration over his involvement in a video calling on military members to reject illegal orders．
For months， Ossoff has followed a consistent pattern： hold one large campaign rally each month， tear into President Donald Trump and his GOP opponent with easily digestible soundbites， and let those barbs ricochet around the internet．
Ossoff， whosayshe doesn’t have social media apps on his own phone， has learned how to capture the attention economy in ways few other Democratic politicians have – aside from perhaps the viral videos of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani or Rep． Alexandria Ocasio－Cortez． It’s part of what’s thrust Ossoff to the fore of conversations about the 2028 presidential race – even though he insists he has no interest in pursuing that higher office and is instead focused on keeping his Senate seat．
Ossoff has railed against Trump on corruption， high costs， and the war in Iran． His most viral critiques have typically focused on the president， but he’s also painted his GOP opponent， Rep． Mike Collins， as a “puppet” of Trump， referring to him on Tuesday as a “scandal pinata．”
The Democratic senator’s most recent viral speech， which referenced closeTrump aide Natalie Harp， set off a new political feud with the White House． The moment has drawn millions of views on the social media platform X．
“While the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war， while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves， the president sleeps through his meetings， he golfs， and trades stocks，” Ossoff said at a campaign rally Sunday．
He continued： “He doesn’t want to do the job． He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar，” referring to Harp， the president’s executive assistant． Ossoff did not mention Harp during his event on Tuesday．
The initial comments drew swift backlash from the White House． Asked on Monday about Ossoff’s remark regarding Harp， the president referred to the Georgia senator as “Pee Wee Herman，” and White House communications director Steven Cheung called him “a radical， extremist Dumocrat” onsocial media．
On Tuesday， Ossoff appeared alongside Kelly， who has captured national attention amid his own clash with Trump and Kelly’s wife， Gabrielle Giffords， a former congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt in 2011．
While focused on Ossoff’s reelection， the joint appearance by the prominent Democrats in Columbus， Georgia， also served as a window into what some Democrats might want as a future presidential ticket， even as Ossoff has repeatedly denied interest in a White House bid．
“We are joined by these two extraordinary patriots and heroes，” Ossoff said， joking， “it’s our pleasure to introduce you， desert folk， to humidity．”
Kelly hit on many of the themes that have animated Ossoff’s reelection campaign， accusing the Trump administration of abusing its power．
“If you’re frustrated about them using the Department of Justice and weaponizing the government against its people， I really understand that． You probably saw I said something last November，” he said， referring to the administration’spressure campaignover the military orders video．
And the two sat for an extended conversation， sharing their concerns， hammering Trump， and calling voters to action． “I would address the president’s few remaining supporters to contrast his promises with the results you’ve been delivered， and to vote accordingly，” Ossoff said．
‘Zero interest’ in a potential run for higher office
Ossoff and his advisers have adopted a cautious， arms－length approach to 2028 speculation， attempting to distance him from those conversations． He’s repeatedly expressed “zero interest” in a potential run for higher office， saying his focus is on the Senate race under way．
In aninterviewon MS NOW Monday night， Ossoff said， “I have zero interest in running for president in 2028， and frankly zero interest in the 2028 fantasy football right now．”
Kelly – among those vetted as a contender tojoin the 2024 ticket with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris – has said more about his deliberations， acknowledging his interest in several public forums but maintaining that he’s undecided on whether to launch a bid． “I have not made a decision． I have thought about it， but no decision yet，” hetoldNew Hampshire broadcaster WMUR during a visit to the key presidential primary state earlier this year．
But enthusiasm abounds within the party for both senators， who have drawn praise for their communications talent and who have won hotly contested races in once reliable red states．
And although he is attempting to tamp down 2028 speculation， a 2026 win by Ossoff in a battleground state like Georgia could boost his status as a contender for the White House．
“Too often， Democrats either drive conflict or drive message． Ossoff does both． He needles Trump constantly so he gets attention， but every jab lands on the consequences of corruption． You never get the punchline without the point，” said Jesse Ferguson， a veteran Democratic strategist．
Ossoff is the only Senate Democrat running for reelection in a state Trump won in 2024， making him the most vulnerable incumbent Democrat in this cycle． He’s emerged on strong footing in his race against Collins， which Democrats are banking on as they hope to reclaim the majority in November．
AFox News pollconducted in June showed Ossoff up 13 points over Collins， though strategists in both parties expect the contest to tighten in the closing months． Ossoff remains one of the Democratic party’s most prolific fundraisers． He’s hauled in a total of $77．2 million since the beginning of last year and ended June with a $42．6 million war chest．
Voters at the event on Tuesday offered favorable impressions of the Georgia senator． “I think it’s very much clear， and he’s just basically sharing what I think many Georgians know， the country knows， so I don’t think he’s doing anything or saying anything that’s out of school， out of line，” said Johnny Flakes， a 70－year old from Columbus．
Bruce Huff， a local city councilman from Columbus， weighed the possibility of an Ossoff presidential bid． “I’d be OK with that，” he said． “I am a staunch supporter． I’ve been with him the whole time since he ran the first time． His bipartisan ways of dealing with the Senate and the Congress， his family values， and his ability just to get along with people， I would be behind him 100％．”
Ossoff has carefully navigated the complicated debate playing out about the direction of the Democratic Party， even as Collins and Republicans have attempted to tie him to the democratic socialist movement．
“I don’t spend much time thinking about factional， Democratic politics，” he told CNN in June， saying that while the divide exists， “it exists more in those places and for those people and groups for whom the Democratic primary is the horizon of politics．”
The senator has also garnered support from across the aisle， withtwo Republican mayorsin the state recently endorsing his candidacy over Collins． He referenced their backing on Tuesday， part of an extended critique of his GOP opponent．
“You may have seen the conservative Republican mayor of Valdosta is now on this team． The Republican mayor of Tifton， Georgia， is now on this team， and there will be more new bipartisan friends joining us in the weeks ahead because this is a campaign for everybody who longs for decency and sanity and competence and quality public service，” Ossoff said．
It’s a must－win race， both for Ossoff’s future and the Democratic Party’s hopes of retaking the Senate． Kelly framed it as such on Tuesday．
“This is ground zero for us winning back the majority． We do not win back the majority if Jon Ossoff is not reelected，” the Arizona senator said．
