Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff (D.) told a crowd earlier this month that Democrats needed to defeat President Donald Trump's backers so badly that they wouldn't be able to show their faces in public.
"We need to send a message this year," Ossoff said. "We need to send a message that if you indulge this kind of politics, you're not just going to get beat. You're going to get beaten so bad you can never run or show your face again in public, because we have had enough, absolutely enough of what we are getting from Donald Trump and his fellow travelers right now."
He made the remarks at a Jan. 19 Democratic candidate forum in Dunwoody, a northern suburb of Atlanta.
Ossoff is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. David Perdue (R., Ga.), a Trump ally up for reelection in 2020. Teresa Tomlinson and Sarah Riggs Amico, who lost a lieutenant governor race in Georgia in 2018, are his only remaining primary opponents after Clarkston, Ga., mayor Ted Terry dropped out this week.
His comments were reminiscent of Rep. Maxine Waters's (D., Calif.) call in 2018 to make Trump administration members feel unwelcome in public.
"Sir, this is an Applebee’s," National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Nathan Brand told the Washington Free Beacon. "In all seriousness though, Ossoff’s outburst and disparaging comments about Georgia voters is simply another attempt to appease his radical Hollywood donors."
Representatives from Ossoff's campaign and Perdue's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Tonight we hosted a "Let's Undo Perdue" Senate Candidate Forum to a sold out crowd of 200+. Thank you to @ossoff, @teresatomlinson, @SarahRiggsAmico, and @tedterry1 for speaking to us and to @DekalbGADems for hosting with us. We can't wait to Undo Perdue! pic.twitter.com/ZbvP0TC7h4
— Indivisible Georgia Sixth District (@INDI6_GA) January 20, 2020
Ossoff is known for his failed bid in the 2017 special election for Georgia's Sixth Congressional District. Unlike that race, there are no residency issues this time as he tries to win his first public office.