Nebraska Senate Candidate Criticized for Leaked Remarks Mocking Trump Supporters

Dan Osborn, an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in Nebraska, is facing criticism after leaked audio emerged in which he appears to mock supporters of President Trump. In the recording, Osborn can be heard saying, “Billy Bob in f—king Red Cloud, Nebraska, who lives next to the f—king Trump store as you pull into town and is waving the flag, all he knows is that he’s on the winning team. It’s really that simple.”

He continued, “That’s why [Trump’s] been so effective. He’s been so effective at taking Billy Bob and his wife Mary Jane or Mary Jo and telling them, ‘Look, we’re winning, you’re on the winning team.’ And that’s all they care about, because their lives probably suck so f—king bad.”

The audio recording, obtained by the Omaha World-Herald, reportedly stems from an event held earlier this summer. The outlet verified the recording's authenticity with an individual who participated in the conversation.

Osborn acknowledged in an interview that the voice in the audio "sure sounds like me." He stated that the comments do not reflect his actual feelings about Trump supporters, but rather an observation about people who feel "pissed off" and "disenfranchised," sentiments he believes Donald Trump effectively captured in Nebraska. Osborn emphasized that his independent candidacy is an effort to run outside the established political system, mirroring Trump's outsider appeal.

Osborn described the leaked audio as "out of character" and issued an apology to "those people that might be offended."

Incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) responded to the leaked remarks, asserting that Osborn's comments demonstrate a condescending attitude toward Nebraskans. "I’ve been to Red Cloud. I’ve been to every corner of this state. The people Dan Osborn is mocking — calling them ‘Billy Bob’ and ‘Mary Jane,’ saying their lives ‘probably suck so f—— bad’ — are the hardest-working people in America," Ricketts wrote on social media. "They don’t need a candidate who looks down on them. They need a senator who fights for them every single day."

In contrast, far-left streamer Hasan Piker expressed approval of Osborn's remarks. A spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee suggested Piker should campaign with Osborn.

Osborn, an industrial mechanic, union leader, and Navy veteran, has received the endorsement of the Nebraska Democratic Party. Cindy Burbank, who initially won the state's Democratic Senate primary, withdrew from the race in July to allow Osborn to run as an independent candidate.