Nebraska’s Dan Osborn says mocking Trump voters ‘came
Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn said on Tuesday that his criticism of rural supporters of President Donald Trump from a recently leaked…
You know, if mocking rural Nebraskans was just about "passion," every patron at a Lincoln wine bar would qualify as a political firebrand. Dan Osborn's excuse for the leaked audio isn't just weak—it's a tell. The independent Senate candidate got caught on tape suggesting that a voter in Red Cloud, population 1,500, supports President Trump because he's, well, too simple to know better.
Commentary is separate from the original publisher's reporting.
Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn said on Tuesday that his criticism of rural supporters of President Donald Trump from a recently leaked audio “came from a place of passion.”
Osborn is still managing the fallout in which he suggested a fictitious voter in the small town of Red Cloud, Nebraska, supports Trump because “all he knows is that he’s on the winning team” and “because their lives probably suck so f***ing bad.”
Independent candidate Dan Osborn announces Nebraska Senate campaign against Pete Ricketts
Criminal complaints accuse Nebraska Senate candidates of running sham campaigns to aid Dan Osborn
Trump backs Ricketts as GOP senator faces likely Osborn challenge
“It came from a place of passion and wanting to stand up for those folks out in Red Cloud whose lives have gotten harder,” Osborn told reporters Tuesday at an event to receive an endorsement from the National Security Leaders for America.
Osborn is challenging Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) this November after losing to Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) in 2024.
Osborn is backed by Democrats in what is a mildly competitive race for Ricketts despite Trump winning the state by more than 20 points. In recent weeks, Republicans have diverted resources to the contest as polls show Osborn within striking distance of Ricketts.
On Monday, Trump held a campaign rally for Ricketts and Gov. Jim Pillen (R-NE) as part of a multistate blitz ahead of the midterm elections.
Ricketts and national Republicans have spotlighted the controversial remarks about Trump supporters on the campaign trail and in an advertisement. Osborn suggested the recording “was well over a year ago” and that he “took accountability” for the comments. The candidate has previously expressed his “regret” to voters and apologized.
“That’s what we’re lacking in modern-day politics is accountability,” Osborn said Tuesday, attributing the higher cost-of-living to Trump’s actions and policies like the Iran war and tariffs. “What I should have said is people’s lives are exponentially harder.”
Ricketts is running for his first full term after winning a special election in 2024 to serve the remainder of former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse’s term. The incumbent is favored to “likely” keep his seat by nonpartisan forecasters.
Nebraskans “don’t need a candidate who looks down on them,” Ricketts said in a recent social media post accompanying a campaign ad featuring Osborn’s comments.
Original source:
Read at Washington ExaminerHow We See It
New Republican Times Editorial Board
You know, if mocking rural Nebraskans was just about "passion," every patron at a Lincoln wine bar would qualify as a political firebrand. Dan Osborn's excuse for the leaked audio isn't just weak—it's a tell. The independent Senate candidate got caught on tape suggesting that a voter in Red Cloud, population 1,500, supports President Trump because he's, well, too simple to know better. That's not a gaffe. That's a window into how he actually views the people he's asking to send him to Washington.
A contempt that couldn't stay hidden is hard to walk back. Osborn now says he was speaking from a place of frustration, that his words came from a passionate place. But passion doesn't invent fictional voters to belittle. Nobody gets heated and accidentally condescends to an entire community by accident. The people in those small towns aren't confused. They see the economy, the border, and their own bank accounts. They made a choice. Osborn just doesn't respect it, and now he's trying to sell his embarrassment as sincerity.
The real problem for Osborn isn't just the apology—it's that Nebraskans have heard this song before. For a state that prides itself on straight talk and neighborly decency, a candidate who sneers at his own constituents in private isn't "authentic." He's unreliable. And honestly? If he's this condescending when the mic is off, his policy positions probably aren't much better. We'd rather take the president who says what he means than the independent who only means it when he's caught.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.