Dan Osborn, the independent Nebraska Senate candidate backed by Democrats, is facing criticism after a leaked recording appeared to show him ridiculing supporters of President Donald Trump.
In the audio, Osborn refers dismissively to a hypothetical Trump supporter in Red Cloud, Nebraska, describing a man who lives near a Trump store, waves the flag and believes he is part of “the winning team.”
Osborn goes on to say that Trump’s political strength comes from convincing voters that they are on the victorious side, using names such as “Billy Bob,” “Mary Jane” and “Mary Jo” to characterize his supporters.
He also suggests that those voters care primarily about being associated with a winning movement because their personal lives are otherwise deeply unhappy.
The recording reportedly came from a campaign-related gathering held earlier this summer, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The newspaper obtained the audio Wednesday and said a participant in the conversation confirmed that it was genuine.
Speaking with CNN, Osborn acknowledged that the voice on the recording “sure sounds like” him.
Asked whether the remarks represented his true feelings about Trump voters, Osborn said they did not, pointing to his frequent conversations with supporters of the president.
Osborn said he was attempting to describe voters who feel angry and politically ignored, arguing that Trump successfully connected with that frustration in Nebraska by presenting himself as an outsider challenging the established political system.
He added that this outsider appeal is what many voters value in Trump and said it is also part of the reason he is pursuing another independent campaign outside the traditional party structure.
Osborn characterized the comments as out of step with his usual behavior and apologized to anyone who found the language offensive.
Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, Nebraska’s incumbent senator, condemned the remarks Thursday, saying they showed Osborn looks down on Trump voters in a state Trump has won in each of his three presidential campaigns.
“I’ve been to Red Cloud. I’ve been to every corner of this state,” Ricketts wrote on X. He argued that the people Osborn mocked with the names “Billy Bob” and “Mary Jane” are among the hardest-working Americans.
Ricketts said Nebraska voters do not need a candidate who condescends to them, but rather a senator prepared to advocate for them every day.
The leaked comments also drew support from far-left political streamer Hasan Piker.
Piker praised Osborn’s remarks in blunt terms, saying the candidate had “cooked.”
The National Republican Senatorial Committee responded by joking that it would welcome Piker on the campaign trail alongside Osborn.
“Hasan Piker clearly loves Democrat Dan, so we’re happy to arrange travel to Nebraska where Piker can campaign with his new best friend,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia told The Post.
Osborn is an industrial mechanic, union leader and Navy veteran. The Nebraska Democratic Party has endorsed his independent Senate bid.
Cindy Burbank, who won the Democratic Senate primary, exited the race in July, clearing the way for Osborn to run with the party’s support.
