President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) in the Georgia U.S. Senate race on Sunday, just days before the Republican runoff race on June 16.
The 45th and 47th president announced his choice in the race on his 80th birthday, praising “‘MAGA’ Mike Collins” for being a “Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning.” President Trump endorsed Collins, who represents Georgia’s 10th congressional district and owns a trucking company, over Derek Dooley, a former University of Tennessee football coach, lawyer, and first-time candidate, backed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA).
“Mike is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond, and many Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate — He is a WARRIOR and WINNER!” President Trump said in a post to Truth Social.
Trump went on to praise Collins’ record on the economy and the border. Collins notably sponsored the passage of the Laken Riley Act, named after a nursing student in his district who was murdered by an illegal alien released into the U.S. by the Biden administration. Collins previously said the legislation has “helped remove over 20,000 illegal criminal thugs from our streets.”
“As your next Senator, Mike will continue to work hard to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, Strengthen our incredible Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump said.
Trump said that “AMERICA FIRST” Collins is “running against a Radical Left Dumocrat named Jon Ossoff, a weak and pathetic Senator who tried to raise Taxes by over 4 Trillion Dollars, and voted against all of our Tax Cuts, including NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY, and NO TAX ON OVERTIME.” Sen. Ossoff (D-GA), who was first elected in 2021, has been dubbed the “most vulnerable” Democrat up for reelection.
“Ossoff voted for Men in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, Open Borders, and Record High Taxes that, under Crooked Joe Biden, destroyed the American Economy, including 401(k)s and Market Numbers, which are now at the highest point, EVER! He is an Open Border Advocate wanting Criminals of every variety, including 11,888 Murderers, to pour into our Country totally unchecked and unvetted,” the president wrote.
“We are the opposite! I created the Strongest Border in History, and Congressman Mike Collins backed me up all the way. Jon Ossoff wants to abolish our Borders, stop deporting Criminal Illegal Aliens, and supports dangerous “Soft on Crime” Policies like cashless bail, that let repeat Violent Criminals roam free on our streets. He voted AGAINST Voter I.D., and also, fought strongly against Proof of Citizenship, but is in favor of allowing Illegal Aliens to vote in our Sacred Elections. He is a Radical Left Lunatic, a Dumocrat, and doesn’t represent the values of the Great People of Georgia,” he continued:
I beat him years ago in a Congressional Race where he was winning by a lot until I offered my Endorsement, my Candidate won, easily, and that’s going to happen again because Jon Ossoff doesn’t have what it takes. He is a laughingstock in Washington, he is weak and pathetic! All he’s got is money provided by Radical Left people looking to destroy our Country. He is Reckless, Radical, and Dangerous. But first things first! Mike has to beat a Republican Opponent before he gets to Ossoff.
Trump went on to say: “I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person.”
“Unfortunately, he has lived outside of Georgia for most of his life, didn’t vote in 2020 or 2016, and said that I lost Georgia in 2020 when, in actuality, the facts have now proven that I won by a lot!” he said.
“Mike Collins is a true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR, who has been with us from the very beginning, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be your next United States Senator,” he added.
“Unlike ‘lightweight’ Jon Ossoff, a totally ineffective RADICAL LEFT LOSER who has failed the Great People of Georgia so badly, Mike Collins is a winner who will never let you down. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT SUPPORT GEORGIA. We now have the Strongest Border, the Best Stock Market, and the Most Success that our Country has ever seen and, by the way, we also have the Islamic Republic of Iran which has just agreed to never have a Nuclear Weapon, and the Hormuz Strait will be opening shortly,” he said. “Gas prices will plummet, and Affordability will be far better than the numbers from the Record Inflation Driven Biden Administration years. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN — Vote for Mike Collins for Senate! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
“I hope you’re having a great Sunday — man, I know I am,” Collins said to his followers. “We started out early this morning with church service, making our way up through Atlanta for several events, but I just couldn’t go any further without saying, Mr. President, thank you so much for your endorsement. You don’t know what that means to me. I appreciate you putting confidence in me to make sure that we put someone in that U.S. Senate seat that represents not just the state of Georgia, but the people and our values.”
“You know, I find it very ironic that the very first time that I met President Trump in person was at a small event at a house in Atlanta, Georgia. It just so happened to be June 14, his birthday,” he continued. “We sang happy birthday to him as well during that event. And to get the phone call this morning, early this morning, again on June 14, on your birthday — Mr. President, I wish you a happy birthday. I hope you’re having a great day, Whatever you’ve got planned today, and I hope everybody else out there, I hope your Sunday is going fantastic. We look forward to catching up with you somewhere out there on the campaign trail.”
Collins and Dooley are set to compete in the Georgia Senate Republican primary runoff on June 16 after no candidate received more than 50 percent of the votes during the May 19 primary election.
Collins led the primary at 40.5 percent, followed by Dooley at 30.2 percent, and Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) at 25.1 percent. Two other candidates did not reach over four percent. In Georgia, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes, the top two candidates advance to a runoff.
Polling leading up to the primary consistently showed Collins leading his competitors. Closer to election day, polling showed Dooley surpassing Carter as the candidate, and his establishment backers dumped funding into massive advertising campaigns.
RealClear Polling’s average shows Collins presenting the greatest challenge to Ossoff, with the incumbent projected to lead by a narrow 2.8 points in the general election. Polling averages project Ossoff leading Dooley by 6.7 points.
Collins has largely executed a grassroots campaign — visiting all 159 counties in Georgia — and credits his lead in the race to that strategy.
“What is our mission? Our mission is to make sure that we put a Republican in that seat. Someone who actually reflects the values of the state and the people of this state,” Collins told voters at a campaign event in Bainbridge, Georgia, ahead of the primary election.
“Right now, we’ve got a primary coming up, and not only do we need to put a Republican in the seat, but to win the state of Georgia, you need to have the right Republican. You have to make sure you put the right Republican up against Jon Ossoff in the state of Georgia,” he said.
President Trump kept his cards close to his chest in the Georgia U.S. Senate race, not making his endorsement until after the primary. In October, he said he is “following that race very carefully,” and added that it is “very important for Georgia to get a real senator because the senator they have now is a horrible senator.”
However, President Trump made an early endorsement in the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial race for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Jones and billionaire Rick Jackson also advanced to a runoff, dashing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s hopes of winning the governor’s seat this election cycle.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
