COLLEGE PARK, GA. - There are 269 days till Election Day, November 3, but Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff decided Saturday, February 7, was the right date to put the current presidential administration on blast. Ossoff called out the Trump administration for the country's current state of affairs. The topics of his speech ranged from the rising costs of healthcare and groceries to the tariffs that have caused international rifts in what were once strong economic bonds. "You're seeing what I'm seeing right, and you just can't stand to see what's happening to our country," said Ossoff.
"But I'm here to tell you the power of the presidency is nothing like the power of the American people," Ossoff said.
This comes a day after United States President Donald J. Trump reposted a racist video via his Truth Social account. The victims of this racist attack were the former United States President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama. Though there have been politicians on both sides of the aisle who said the president needs to apologize, despite the post being taken down, there have also been people attempting to explain it.
"You see an American government immediately slander its citizens that it kills," Ossoff said about what was said of Alex Pretti and Renee Good following their murders by ICE and U.S. Border Patrol in Minneapolis. "It feels like every day the depravity deepens. But Atlanta, I'm here to tell you we will overcome this."
Ossoff's "Rally for Our Republic" series returned to metro Atlanta at the Georgia International Convention Center on Saturday afternoon. The crowd of 1,400-plus inside the international ballroom arrived hours before the 1 p.m. start time. Many carried pro-Ossoff signs while others wore white Jon Ossoff t-shirts. That was to be expected, but the overall feeling in the room wasn't just about the upcoming senatorial race; it was also about redirecting the country.
An hour before the rally began, Patricia Parks stood in a corner of the large ballroom, eating a homemade peanut butter sandwich and sipping on a small cup of water. Her blood sugar was fine, but she wanted to make sure before things got started. Originally from Miami, Florida, Parks moved to Griffin, Georgia, a year ago and is a member of the Spalding County Democrats and the local Democrats for Action chapter. She said she was in College Park because of many concerns.
"Everybody's number one concern right now is ICE, but the prices of food and gas should be on their list too," she said. "It's $100 just to go outside," she joked. "Thank God I don't eat a whole lot." Parks, a senior citizen, finished her sandwich, smiled, and made her way back to her seat alongside the two friends she came with.
Eddie Harrison, an Ossoff supporter, came to the rally from Douglasville. He said there needs to be an entirely different energy around statewide and national politics.
"We need a change, not just for Black people or white people, for everybody," he said. "Because of everything that's going on with immigration, I wanted to come out and support Senator Ossoff."
The idea of America was on the mind of Mareline Cole when she made her way to her seat on Saturday. She said she was at the rally because she didn't feel confident in the country's leadership.
"I am here for a million reasons, but really, what's going on in the White House is ridiculous. I'm here to encourage people to get out and vote in May and November," she said.
Cole, Harrison, Parks, and others were joined by small business owners who were invited to speak at the rally before Ossoff took the stage. One of those small business owners, Elaine Read, owns a craft chocolate company in Atlanta and expressed concerns over Trump-led tariffs that are changing how she and her husband, Mark Read, can order the supplies they need to make chocolate.
"President Trump and Georgia Republicans should be standing with small businesses. not tearing us down," Read said. "The stakes for this year's midterm elections couldn't be higher."
Chants of "Ice out" could be heard in between Ossoff's speech. Ossoff made sure to mention that not only immigrants make America what it is, but the legacy of enslaved Africans and their descendants has as well.
"That is what makes us exceptional," he said.
Ossoff said the measure of this country's success is whether the next generation reaches greater success than the last. "I believe we will escape this moral tailspin, but none of this is possible without victory in November," he said.
Bad Bunny's "DtMF" could be heard on the ballroom's speakers as the crowds made their way to the exits.