ByANDREW LAPIN/JTA

JUNE 18, 2026 13:41

Following Rep. Mike Collins securing the Republican nomination for Senate in Georgia after a tough primary runoff on Tuesday, his Democratic rival moved quickly to criticize him.

Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff wrote on social media Tuesday night that Donald Trump's chosen candidate Mike Collins is known as a bigot, antisemite, and extremist.

Ossoff, who is Jewish, offered no further details on the antisemitism claim in his post, which included additional criticisms of Collins. However, Collins along with some key aides have encountered documented past claims of antisemitism in Georgia, a state with over 100,000 Jewish adults.

Valeria Rivadeneira-Crandell, a spokesperson for Ossoff's campaign, stated to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Collins has a clear history of bigotry and antisemitism through his associations with known extremists, use of antisemitic language, and responses to targeting a Jewish reporter.

The Collins campaign offered no comment in response to inquiries about this story.

Ossoff campaign points to Collins 2024 antisemitism controversy

The Ossoff team shared details on several past events. One notable case from 2024 involved Collins responding positively to a tweet from an antisemitic account that seemed to highlight a Washington Post reporter's Jewish heritage. Collins, who manages his own X account, replied at the time with agreement.

After facing criticism from Georgia lawmakers and others, Collins stood by his remarks, suggesting that calling out a reporter for excusing crime based on views about stolen land does not equate to antisemitism and that critics are imagining issues.

Collins, a Trump-backed MAGA supporter known for provocative social media activity in a key swing state, captured his runoff with over 55 percent of the vote per Associated Press counts. His victory occurred on the same evening as another Trump-backed candidate lost the Georgia GOP primary runoff for governor.

Collins has promoted nativist ideas, such as backing legislation to eliminate birthright citizenship. He also shared a 2024 video showing University of Mississippi fraternity members taunting a Black pro-Palestinian protester with animal sounds.

Collins defended the New York Young Republicans after their antisemitic messages were exposed in the media. In October he posted that he did not care about a group chat, pairing it with an image of Laken Riley, the Georgia nursing student killed in 2024 by an undocumented immigrant, which fueled Republican efforts for stricter migrant policies.

Collins later attended a New York Young Republicans event that honored far-right German politician Markus Frohnmaier and included appearances by antisemitic individuals such as the livestreamer Sneako.

Report highlights chief of staff connections to extremist figures

Collins has drawn attention for actions by current and past staff members.

A Slate report last month, based on leaked messages, revealed that Collins chief of staff Kip Talley joined a group chat with white supremacist influencers Nick Fuentes and Richard Spencer. In December messages, Talley expressed intent to use legislative tools to assist Holocaust denier and activist Charles C. Johnson, who was jailed on contempt charges for posing as an FBI informant.

Talley informed the group he was contacting FBI and DOJ contacts to secure Johnson's release. At that point Talley served as deputy chief of staff and advanced to chief of staff in January. Johnson left prison in February.

Talley, still in his position with Collins, explained to Slate that he acted only personally after learning of mistreatment and denied medical care for a long-known acquaintance. He stressed no involvement from Rep. Collins, no use of official resources, and no coordination with the chat group.

Collins previously employed William Paul, who made antisemitic remarks last month to Jewish GOP Rep. Mike Lawler. Paul, son of Sen. Rand Paul, worked as Collins digital director early in 2025 but had left the staff nearly a year before the incident with Lawler.

Despite these associations, Collins has upheld a strong pro-Israel position even as the MAGA movement divides on the issue. He addressed a Georgia memorial for the one-year mark of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, pledging support for Israel's defense resources, and has described Israel as an ally. Before the 2024 election he posted that Iran would not attack Israel if Trump were president.

Ossoff has also presented himself as supportive of Israel yet recently opposed certain weapons transfers to the country. This stance drew criticism from Georgia Jewish groups, who issued an open letter in 2024 signed by synagogues, schools, the local Anti-Defamation League, and others against his votes on arms sales.