Nebraska Senate candidate seems to confirm audio claiming Trump supporters' lives 'suck so f---ing bad'
Independent Senate Candidate Dan Osborn Faces Backlash Over Leaked Audio
Omaha, Neb.— An audio clip that surfaced on Wednesday has put Nebraska’s independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. In the recording, Osborn appears to criticize supporters of former President Donald Trump, describing them as people whose lives “suck so f‑ing bad” and suggesting they follow Trump because he is “on the winning team.” The clip was obtained by the Omaha World‑Herald and has sparked a flurry of responses from political figures and the media.
Osborn, who has been campaigning as an independent in a state that leans heavily Republican, said in the clip, “Billy Bob in f‑ing Red Cloud, Nebraska, who lives next door to the f‑ing Trump store as you pull into town and is waving the Trump flag … all he knows is he’s like on the winning team.” The audio also included Osborn’s remarks that Trump’s supporters “are angry … because their lives probably suck so f‑ing bad.”
When the clip made the rounds, Osborn appeared on CNN’s Inside Politics with Dana Bash to address the allegations. He said, “It sure sounds like me,” but added that the recording sounded “out of character” for him. He apologized, saying, “If somebody was offended by this, I would apologize to those people that might be offended, but I got to tell them I feel their pain. I absolutely feel the pain. We’re all angry right now, and sometimes when you’re angry you say some things.”
In the interview, Osborn framed the comments as part of a broader discussion about disenfranchised voters. “I talked to a lot of Trump voters and … I’m talking about people are pissed off, people are disenfranchised, especially, and that’s what Trump captured in Nebraska,” he said. “That’s what people like about Trump. It’s why I’m running again as an independent running outside the political system because I’m tired of the two‑party doom loop.”
Osborn’s remarks have also been linked to earlier audio clips that Fox News Digital reported in May. In those recordings, he suggested he would appeal to Republican voters by avoiding progressive issues, stating, “The state is made up of 50% Republicans, 26% Democrat, 24% independents. So my win numbers, mathematically, I have to get probably 10‑15% of Republicans to win this race. How am I going to do that by f‑ing saying, ‘Oh, I love trans people, and they should be able to play in sports?’” He also said, “I have people recording me, so I can’t say I want to abolish ICE. I can’t say those words. I’ll be f‑ed.”
In response to the audio, the incumbent Republican Senator Pete Ricketts released a statement through Fox News Digital. Ricketts said, “I’ve been to Red Cloud. I’ve been to every corner of Nebraska. The people Dan Osborn is mocking are the hardest‑working people in America. They don’t need a candidate who looks down on them. They need a senator who fights for them. That’s what I do every day.”
Osborn’s campaign has faced scrutiny over its funding as well. Reports indicate that his campaign has received substantial contributions from left‑wing donors and organizations such as ActBlue, and that he has historically supported Democratic candidates. This financial backdrop has raised questions about the alignment between his independent candidacy and his policy positions.
The audio clip and its fallout have reignited debates about political rhetoric and the polarization of American politics. As the midterm election approaches, Osborn’s statements will likely be cited by both opponents and supporters in discussions about voter identity, representation, and the role of independent candidates in a two‑party system.