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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
- United States representative for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District
Responding to
Response to the case
"get off of Social Security"
In a June 2025 radio interview, Collins argued that lower taxes could create incentives to work and referred in the same sentence to Medicaid, Social Security, and returning to work.
Why we used this label
The full answer offers a policy rationale for increasing work incentives, while its application to Social Security beneficiaries is the specific point later disputed by the campaigns.
Before the statement
Collins was discussing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and describing tax cuts as a way to increase revenue and reduce mandatory spending.
After the statement
The full audio continues beyond the sentence. In 2026, Ossoff’s campaign used a shorter portion in an ad focused on Social Security. The short quotation is corroborated by FactCheck.org's transcription; the audio was not independently retranscribed in this update. The timestamp is the episode's publication time, not a verified recording time.
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.