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Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Did Jon Ossoff’s Social Security ad fairly represent Mike Collins’s radio interview?
Jon Ossoff’s campaign ran an ad using Mike Collins’s words “get off of Social Security, get back into the workforce” to say Collins wanted to push beneficiaries off Social Security. Collins’s campaign said he misspoke and meant Medicaid; Ossoff’s campaign said the ad fairly reflected Collins’s support for pressuring beneficiaries into work. The full radio interview contains the surrounding discussion of tax cuts, Medicaid, Social Security, and work incentives.
Read the evidence.
Choose a section to read the sources or follow the responses.
Material at issue
Original material
Interview
Mike Collins on The Morning Xtra discussing tax cuts, Medicaid, and Social Security
Relevant passage: From 5:23 in the June 5, 2025 interview
Excerpt
"get off of Social Security"
About this source
Primary full interview record. Collins was making an argument for tax cuts and work incentives and referred in one sentence to Medicaid, Social Security, and returning to work. This is the full record from which the campaign ad excerpted audio. The brief quotation is corroborated by FactCheck.org's transcription; the audio was not independently retranscribed during this update. The timestamp is episode publication, not a verified recording time.
Source details
What's disputed
The claims below are disputed. Follow each source to see who made it and what they said.
No disputed claims on this page.
Response from Mike Collins
September 4, 2026
Mike Collins
"Rep. Collins misspoke"
The campaign directly contests the ad’s interpretation and says the excerpt omits crucial context.
August 8, 2026
Jon Ossoff
"“He wants to push you off Social Security.”"
The campaign uses the excerpt to make a critical policy characterization of Collins’s position on Social Security.
Documented responses
Reactions
Choose a response to read the quotation and its source.
3 latest responses. Dates: August 8, 2026 to September 9, 2026
1 response on this page
Statement
Mike Collins
- Mike Collins U.S. Senate campaign, through spokesperson Sam Densmore
Responding to
Response to the case
"Rep. Collins misspoke"
The Collins campaign said the Social Security reference was a mistake, that he meant Medicaid, and that the Ossoff ad intentionally truncated the interview to mislead voters.
Why we used this label
The campaign directly contests the ad’s interpretation and says the excerpt omits crucial context.
Before the statement
FactCheck.org asked the Collins campaign to explain the June 2025 radio remark after the Ossoff ad began airing.
After the statement
FactCheck.org reported that the cited full interview did not contain an immediate correction and that the campaign did not provide a location for one when asked. The Ossoff campaign separately defended the ad’s interpretation. The spokesperson's exact statement time was not reported; occurredAt uses the reporting publication timestamp.
get off of Social Security
Primary full interview record. Collins was making an argument for tax cuts and work incentives and referred in one sentence to Medicaid, Social Security, and returning to work. This is the full record from which the campaign ad excerpted audio. The brief quotation is corroborated by FactCheck.org's transcription; the audio was not independently retranscribed during this update. The timestamp is episode publication, not a verified recording time.
Case timeline
7 timeline entries on this page. Dates: June 5, 2025 to September 9, 2026
- Condemned
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
"GOP Rep. Mike Collins wants to end Social Security."
Read statementNCPSSM links its Ossoff endorsement to a disputed claim about Collins and Social Security (opens in a new tab) · National Committee to Preserve Social Security and MedicareOriginal post or statement body - Challenged the characterization
Mike Collins
"Rep. Collins misspoke"
Sources & corrections
The organization's post connects this assertion to its endorsement of Jon Ossoff. Whether Collins's interview supports that characterization is disputed in the case; the assertion is not presented as an established finding.
- Source type
- official statement
- Date accessed
- Published
"GOP Rep. Mike Collins wants to end Social Security."
Primary full interview record. Collins was making an argument for tax cuts and work incentives and referred in one sentence to Medicaid, Social Security, and returning to work. This is the full record from which the campaign ad excerpted audio. The brief quotation is corroborated by FactCheck.org's transcription; the audio was not independently retranscribed during this update. The timestamp is episode publication, not a verified recording time.