Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff has dominated national attention this week after comments he made during a rally speech in Atlanta went viral.
"While the sailors on the (U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln) fight (Trump's) war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleep through his meetings. He golfs and trades stocks. So, he doesn't want to do the job," Ossoff said. "He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar."
The quote set off a firestorm among conservatives, with critics calling Ossoff sexist for bringing Trump's female staffer Natalie Harp into his remarks. Ossoff called the response from both the Right and the White House a "meltdown,"
and reiterated his comment was about the people close to the president and Trump's alleged lack of focus on key issues impacting Americans.
The feud between Ossoff and Trump has been brewing for months as the senator is locked in a crucial reelection campaign in a state that has held Trump's attention for nearly a decade. The president has created multiple nicknames for Ossoff, including referring to the senator as "Pee Wee Herman" when asked about him.
Trump has also endorsed Ossoff's opponent, Rep. Mike Collins, who has been a MAGA loyalist and 2020 election denier. Collins has been behind in numerous polls, and has been fighting a House ethics investigation and accusations of corruption and associations with white supremacists throughout his campaign.
And while Ossoff's attention may be clearly focused on his Georgia race, it hasn't stopped others from seeing his national potential. A young, popular and liberal lawmaker from a crucial and historically conservative swing state may be just what the Democratic Party has been waiting for.
Emerson Polling included Ossoff's name in a possible presidential ballot for 2028 for the first time in July. Ossoff has repeatedly denied any interest in running for president in 2028, but a new poll shows not only that he may be a favorite among Democrats, but that he would actually have a shot to win.
Ossoff beats Vance, Rubio in hypothetical 2028 bid
In polling published by Emerson on Aug. 20, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Governor of California Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ossoff were compared to two Republican frontrunners, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a hypothetical 2028 presidential race.
Buttigieg performed the best, winning against both Vance and Rubio with 49% of the vote, with 8% undecided against Vance and 7% undecided against Rubio.
In a hypothetical race against Vance, Ossoff would be projected to win with 49%. In the same race against Rubio, Ossoff would be projected to win with 47%. Undecided voters account for 7% and 9%, respectively.
Newsom had slightly higher margins against Rubio (49% against Vance, 48% against Rubio) than Ossoff, and Harris would win against Vance, but not Rubio. Ocasio-Cortez would be projected to lose against either Republican candidate.
Among the potential voters the economy was the top issue, followed by threats to democracy, healthcare and immigration.
Since March, those who oppose the war in Iran has gone up from 47% to 49%, according to Emerson.
The survey was conducted on Aug. 16 and 17 with 1,000 likely U.S. voters. The poll's margin of error is +/- 3%.
Ossoff says he won't run — over and over again
In a call with press on July 23, Ossoff spoke about his opponent's ongoing scandals, and said he could believe Collins did not appear with Trump during his recent Georgia event in order to protect the president from having to answer to Collins' record. When asked whether Ossoff's anti-corruption message is resonating outside of the state, Ossoff said "I'm focused on Georgia, and as I've said, I have zero interest in running for president in 2028."
Ossoff has said the race in Georgia is too important to be looking ahead at 2028, and he has often cited his two young daughters and the time he already spends away in Washington as a reason to focus on home.
He reiterated that point during the rally event on Sunday.
"In Atlanta, what's required of us now is so much greater than what that small, self-serving politics can muster. I've got two little girls in my home, Emma is four and Lila is one, and I'm so grateful to this country for the security and the opportunity to raise them. But, this isn't the world I want them to live in," Ossoff said. "I refuse to leave my girls a world as dark and dangerous and cruel as this one threatens to become."
Irene Wright covers Georgia politics as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ossoff says he won't run in 2028. Poll shows he could win if he did
