Dan Osborn, an independent candidate challenging Republican Senator Pete Ricketts in Nebraska, allegedly said President Donald Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border is a “symbol of racism.” The comments underscore a central challenge for Osborn, who is seeking to build a winning coalition to unseat a Republican incumbent in a reliably red state. The independent candidate is hoping to win over some Republicans and independents while also holding support among Democrats to win in November. Ricketts and Republicans have attacked Osborn's record as being more aligned with Democrats, but Osborn has said he would not plan to caucus with either party if elected.
Prior to the new report, the race looked to be competitive in some recent polls. But defeating a Republican in such a conservative state remains an uphill battle. Nebraska backed President Donald Trump by more than 20 points, but some Democrats hope the seat could become more competitive due to growing voter frustration over the economy, the unpopular war in Iran and backlash over Trump’s plan to import foreign beef.
An Osborn victory would have major implications for the Senate. He would become a key swing vote in the chamber and could deny Republicans a vote on some of Trump’s priorities in a state they would otherwise be expected to easily win. Politico reported on leaked audio on Tuesday that Osborn criticized the border wall, a cornerstone of Trump’s political legacy, during a meeting with Latino and Black Democrats from July.
Participants pressed him on his immigration stance, asking him about using the term “illegal” to describe undocumented immigrants and how he really feels about the border wall. It’s a symbol of racism, really, is what the wall represents. It does nothing, you know,” Osborn allegedly said.
It’s a shift from Osborn’s 2024 run, when he said in an advertisement that he aligned with Trump on the border. He said in the ad, “If Trump needs helping building a wall, I’m pretty handy.” Victory in Nebraska would require Osborn to win some Republican votes in November due to the GOP’s strong advantage in the state. While Trump’s approval has plummeted among Democrats and independents, he remains popular with Republicans, particularly on immigration issues.
Max Oberg, Ricketts’ deputy campaign manager, wrote in a statement to Newsweek, "This is now the second leaked audio of Dan Osborn revealing who he actually is: a socialist Democrat in disguise. Fake Dan Osborn is fully comfortable lying to Nebraska voters to gain power.” Newsweek reached out to the Osborn campaign for comment via email. The latest poll from Ipsos and showed that overall, Trump’s net approval on immigration was -18 points, 55 percent disapproving and 37 percent approving.
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