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⬤ LOW 19 Aug 2026, 09:20 UTC

Ossoff tests Democrats' appetite for going low

The firestorm over Sen. Jon Ossoff's suggestive remark about President Trump's right-hand woman has raised a bigger question about the type of campaign Democrats will run in 2028.Why it matters: Trump has made schoolyard taunts and personal insults a staple of presidential politics. One of the big strategic calls for Democrats in 2028 is whether to fight on Trump's terms — or bet that voters are exhausted and ready for something a bit more dignified.Driving the news: At a campaign rally Sunday, Ossoff went a step beyond the cutting one-liners he's delighted Democratic audiences with, veering into personal insinuation."He doesn't want to do the job," Ossoff said of Trump. "He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar."The Natalie he referenced was Trump's 35-year-old aide Natalie Harp, who is constantly by his side and serves as a gatekeeper of what he reads. It was widely interpreted as insinuating that their relationship goes beyond work.Trump and his aides unloaded: The president compared Ossoff to Pee-wee Herman, while White House communications director Steven Cheung called him a "cuck loser." Other Republicans called Ossoff sexist.Democrats refrained from criticizing Ossoff, though former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki pressed him on why he went there.Ossoff kept at it on Tuesday, calling Trump a "draft-dodging crook" during a campaign event — without referring to Harp.The big picture: Ossoff's earlier remark generated enormous attention and highlighted an emerging divide among top Democrats that's more about temperament than ideology.California Gov. Gavin Newsom — a potential contender for the White House in 2028 — and Ossoff, who insists he isn't, are staking out the pugilist end of the spectrum.Both have made a point of confronting Trump at every turn — Newsom with a social media feed devoted to mocking and belittling the president, and Ossoff with a series of viral speeches laced with cutting one-liners."DONALD 'BRUISED HANDS' TRUMP IS IN LA TONIGHT RAISING MONEY FOR THE RNC — WHILE HIS OWN ADMINISTRATION BUYS OWNERSHIP IN CALIFORNIA COMPANIES LIKE IT'S THE SOVIET UNION!" Newsom posted on his official government account earlier this month, mocking Trump's all-caps style on social media posts.Ossoff has portrayed Trump as a child throwing "his toys out the stroller" and predicted that "no one will honor him when he's gone," among other insults.The other side: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, both of them possible 2028 presidential candidates, have cut more restrained profiles — a "let's just focus on the job" ethos, captured by Shapiro's "get sh*t done" mantra, minus the drama."If you're talking about just like yelling and screaming and banging the table, like, that ain't me," Shapiro said in a March interview on the "Pod Save America" podcast. "And I realize that might get me more likes on Twitter ... [but] that
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