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.”
“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.
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Independent Nebraska Senate candidate Dan Osborn, center, speaks at an election night watch party at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha La Vista Hotel & Conference Center in La Vista, Neb., Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan)“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.”
CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS ACCUSE NEBRASKA SENATE CANDIDATES OF RUNNING SHAM CAMPAIGNS TO AID DAN OSBORN
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.
