Ossoff says Collins hired half the Third Reich and amplified neo-Nazi propaganda
Jon OssoffU.S. senator from Georgia and Democratic candidate for reelection, speaking at the debate
At the debate, Ossoff told Collins he had staffed his congressional office with half the Third Reich and had promoted neo-Nazi content online. In a later reply, he said Collins had amplified neo-Nazi propaganda, that his office had intervened at the Justice Department for a Holocaust denier, and that Collins is a bigot unfit for the Senate.
Responding to
Mike Collins staffed his congressional office with people who hold neo-Nazi or white nationalist views.
“Mike, 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. It’s that you’re robbing your constituents to subsidize your donors. ... Imagine running for the U.S. Senate while neo-Nazi propaganda is disseminated to an audience of millions from your home. That’s Mike Collins. And it’s not just those around him. Mike Collins himself has amplified neo-Nazi propaganda online. 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. Mike Collins is a bigot, and it’s disqualifying for a candidate for the U.S. Senate.”
Original text
Original text
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did Mike Collins hire aides with white nationalist ties, as Jon Ossoff claimed?
At the October 8, 2026 Georgia Senate debate, Sen. Jon Ossoff told Rep. Mike Collins he had hired "half the Third Reich" to staff his congressional office and had promoted neo-Nazi content online. The charge followed months of reporting about a former Collins chief of staff, a former intern, Collins's son-in-law and two campaign organizers. Collins says he condemns racism and antisemitism and fired people when problems arose. Whether those aides and associations match Ossoff's description is disputed.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
Published transcript of the debate. Answering a question about data centers, Ossoff tells Collins he hired half the Third Reich to staff his congressional office and promoted neo-Nazi content online, then turns to data center subsidies in the budget bill Collins voted for.
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About this source
Published transcript of the debate. Moderator Rick Folbaum asks Collins about his son-in-law's posts and about staff members accused of racism and antisemitism. Collins says the question concerns his family, says he has condemned racism and antisemitism, and says that when he had things happen, he fired them. Ossoff replies that Collins amplified neo-Nazi propaganda and that his office intervened for a Holocaust denier.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
The Washington Sun's debate report, which describes the staff and family controversies Ossoff raised and Collins's answer on stage.
Before the quotation
The first passage came in Ossoff's answer to a question about data centers, after Collins backed local control and criticized Ossoff donor Reid Hoffman. The second came in Ossoff's 30-second reply after the moderator asked Collins about his son-in-law's posts and staff members accused of racism and antisemitism, and Collins answered.
After the quotation
After the first passage, Ossoff asked Collins whether he would vote to repeal the data center tax provision, and Collins answered on data centers and Hoffman.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Collins's staffing and associations, Ossoff expressly condemns them: he describes Collins's office staff as half the Third Reich, accuses Collins of promoting neo-Nazi content and says these ties disqualify him. This is an accusation about the conduct itself, not a dispute over how others have described it.
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- People and groups discussed
- Mike Collins
More from this case
Read the full caseJosh Marshall says Ossoff's Third Reich line stated facts in the public record
“Ossoff didn’t call Mike Collins a Nazi. ... This isn’t some random swipe. It’s been one of the biggest stories of the campaign season that week after week reporters keep finding members of Collins campaign, political operation or family who are associated with far-right or neo-Nazi individuals and organizations or who distribute anti-Semitic propaganda. This is merely an aggressive statement of facts that are unambiguously in the public record.”Read statement
Brooks tells Ossoff to stop calling opponents Nazis but calls Collins's circle disturbing
“Jon Ossoff, my advice to him is, if you start calling your political opponents Nazis, maybe it's time to shut up. That's just not what we do here in this country. And the Bull Connor stuff -- and a lot of these candidates have real weaknesses. Like, Mike Collins, who's the Georgia Republican, I think what's accurate to say about him is, he has a disturbing number of young men on his -- around him who have ties to the alt-right and some of the vile antisemitic stuff online.”Read statement
Filipkowski calls Ossoff's line hyperbolic but says Collins hired the Third Reich's disciples
“While it was a bit hyperbolic for Ossoff to say that Mike Collins hired half the Third Reich to staff his office, it is accurate to say he hired their disciples.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Ossoff says Collins hired half the Third Reich and amplified neo-Nazi propaganda". First published: 2026-10-13. Last updated: 2026-10-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/5644-at-the-debate-ossoff-told-collins-he-had