Mike Collins drops Election Day gas price prediction in heated Georgia Senate race

Republican Representative Mike Collins Highlights Trump Conversation, Port Improvements, and Audi Deal Ahead of Georgia Senate Runoff

In a Fox News Digital interview released on Tuesday, Rep. Mike Collins – the Republican challenger to Sen. Jon Ossoff – recounted a private meeting with former President Donald Trump after the former president’s rally in Perry, Georgia. Collins, a trucking‑company owner and current U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 14th congressional district, used the conversation to underscore his economic record and the new $4.2 billion investment by German automaker Audi in the state.

Trump rally and the Audi announcement

On the Saturday before the interview, President Trump spoke in Perry, announcing that Audi will build a plant in the Macon area, with a planned annual output of roughly 200,000 vehicles. The deal is the centerpiece of a broader push to attract high‑value manufacturing to Georgia.

Collins said Trump was eager for feedback from his supporters, noting that he had personally relayed impressions from attendees. “He always wants to know what you think. He wants to know what everybody thinks,” Collins told Fox News Digital. He added that “well over half of the people that were at that event were seeing a Trump rally for the first time,” underscoring the reach of the campaign’s messaging.

The former president also amplified a digital advertisement for Collins’ own Senate campaign that focused on the Laken Riley Act – legislation championed by Collins in the House. According to the Representative, the ad “exploded with over 7 million views” after Trump retweeted it.

Port of Brunswick and infrastructure upgrades

A key part of Collins’ message to voters is his role in improving the Port of Brunswick, a strategic deep‑water facility on Georgia’s coast. As chair of the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee since 2025, Collins says he prioritized the port’s dredging. “Got down there and, lo and behold, that thing has not been fully dredged in over 10 years,” he recalled. After securing funding, the channel was fully dredged in roughly three months.

Collins argues that the deeper channel was a critical factor in Audi’s decision to locate in Georgia. “One of the reasons that they picked Georgia was because that port is ready to go down there,” he said.

Sen. Ossoff has questioned the details of the Audi investment, demanding more specifics, while Collins points to his infrastructure work as proof of Georgia’s business‑friendly environment.

Makeup spending and campaign image

The interview also turned to a recent controversy over Ossoff’s campaign spending. Washington Times reports from September indicate that Ossoff’s campaign spent nearly $3,000 on hair and makeup services – the most of any Senate candidate that cycle – paying a local makeup artist named Stephanie Ponder.

When asked about whether he uses makeup himself, Collins joked, “The answer is no, I don’t use makeup. Some people might want to suggest I put a bag over my head.” He continued, “I can’t help it that they hired Pee‑wee Herman’s makeup artist,” a reference to a line Trump used in the same rally.

Collins used the comment to criticize Ossoff’s appearance and suggest that the former president’s campaign has deliberately altered Ossoff’s public image.

Fuel, diesel, and economic outlook

On energy policy, Collins noted that he would have accelerated the availability of off‑road diesel fuel if he had been in a position to act. “Probably the only thing I would have, I would have jumped on the off‑road diesel quicker to run in trucks,” he explained, arguing that earlier access would have helped curb costs for trucking companies.

He predicted that a change in the administration’s policy could lower consumer fuel prices. “You’re gonna see prices come down. It’s amazing what Election Day is gonna do,” Collins said, linking the outcome of the Senate race to everyday economic concerns.

Collins praised Trump’s broader economic agenda, citing lower taxes, deregulation, and domestic manufacturing investment as benefits for Georgia households. Ossoff has, in contrast, criticized Trump’s tariffs and the war with Iran, arguing that those policies have raised costs for families in the state.

Closing remarks and the road ahead

Concluding the interview, Collins declared his confidence in winning the Senate seat. “I’m gonna win this race next week. I’m gonna be your next U.S. senator from Georgia,” he asserted. He added, “We’re gonna just pick up that old desk, move it across the rotunda, and continue to deliver,” indicating his intent to transfer his work from the House to the Senate while maintaining a focus on affordability and economic development.

The Georgia runoff election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, with early voting continuing until Friday, October 30. The Ossoff campaign has not yet issued a statement in response to the interview.

As the election approaches, the spotlight remains on the contrasting visions of Collins and Ossoff – a race that could shape the balance of power in the U.S. Senate for the coming term.