A Republican Senate hopeful absorbed a debate-stage takedown that political observers are calling one of the harshest they've ever seen.
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) faced off against Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) Thursday night during their first debate in Georgia's closely watched Senate race, telling the Republican, "If John Lewis were marching today from Selma to Montgomery, Mike Collins would be grabbing a billy club."
Ossoff tied the line to a social media post from Collins. "This is a man who cheered on a group of young men who were mocking a Black woman on a college campus," Ossoff said. Collins kept his head down and appeared to be jotting notes during Ossoff's attacks, per video from independent journalist Aaron Rupar.
"The full response from Ossoff is maybe the most brutal line of attack I've seen delivered on a debate stage," Punchbowl News senior reporter Brendan Pedersen wrote in a post on X.
"This is about as devastating a soundbite as I've ever seen," declared Jack Miller, the former communications director for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
"Watched lots of footage of civil rights protests in GA, AL and MS in the 1960s," chimed in Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of the MeidasTouch political news network. "Maybe some of you were there. Mike Collins acts, talks and behaves like a small town sheriff with a club in 1963 after the fire hoses got done."
"Just complete and utter evisceration of, coupled with palpable hatred for, his opponent," pollster Adam Carlson applauded. "You simply have to tip your cap."
"Going straight for his neck d— lol," laughed Drop Site News Capitol Hill reporter Julian Andreone.
"I mean, d—," reacted Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA). "That's a wrap."
Earlier in the debate, Ossoff went after Collins on allegations of white nationalist ties and called for Collins to release all communications between Kip Talley, Collins' former chief of staff, and a group that included white nationalists Nick Fuentes and Richard Spencer. He also hit Collins over social media posts in which his son-in-law promoted white nationalist content.
"You hired half the Third Reich to staff your office," Ossoff said.