Ossoff and Collins Clash Over Epstein, AI and Tariffs in Georgia Senate Debate
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and GOP Rep. Mike Collins faced off in Atlanta on the first day of early voting, trading attacks on Epstein donations, AI rules and tariffs with control of the Senate on the line.
Jon Ossoff and Mike Collins met for the second time on a debate stage Tuesday night. The Democratic senator and the Republican congressman faced off at the Atlanta Press Club on the first day of early voting in Georgia, in the Senate race that could decide who controls the chamber.
Ossoff is the only incumbent Democrat seeking reelection in a state Donald Trump carried in 2024. Recent polling has had him ahead of Collins through the summer, and forecasters give Democrats a narrow edge in the battle for the Senate.
The sharpest exchange came over Jeffrey Epstein. Collins attacked Ossoff over donations he has received from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, calling him "the same guy that's in the Epstein files." The Justice Department's Epstein releases showed messages between Hoffman and Epstein, who later said he only knew Epstein through a fundraising relationship with MIT, which he regretted.
"The Epstein class is on stage right now, and it's you," Collins said, pressing Ossoff to denounce Hoffman.
Ossoff fired back that Collins had opposed releasing the Epstein records. He pointed to a July 2025 House vote that blocked a measure requiring the Justice Department to release the files within 30 days. Collins later joined 426 colleagues to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act last November, after Trump reversed his opposition and said he would sign it. Millions of documents were eventually released.
Artificial intelligence became another flashpoint. Ossoff called it "the most complex and important legislative question of our time," calling for federal inspectors, government transparency and defenses against bioterrorism. He criticized the Trump administration for not backing AI regulation.
Collins said America is in a race with China over AI. Before new rules, he said, the first step is making sure data centers do not strain local infrastructure. "We need to make sure that these data centers are not harming the local infrastructure, like the water and electricity," he said.
Collins repeatedly dodged a direct question on whether Trump won the 2020 election. Asked multiple times, he never answered yes or no, saying only that Joe Biden became president. Asked whether he would back federal intervention in Georgia's midterm elections, Collins said "voting should always be a state's right."
When the debate ended, both candidates broke with tradition and declined to take questions from reporters. Neither campaign gave a reason.
Republicans are defending a razor-thin Senate majority, and Democrats need to net four seats to flip the chamber. Decision Desk HQ gives Democrats a 56 percent chance of winning it, projecting a 51-49 majority. The election is Nov. 3.
