Jon Ossoff criticizes Trump after Georgia Senate victory

"In overwhelming and decisive victories, the American people repudiated the depravity, corruption and incompetence of the failed 'lame duck' President Donald J. Trump," said Ossoff in an energetic speech before his supporters.

Ossoff has insisted that he has "no intention" of entering the race for the White House, but he is already emerging as one of the Democrats' alternatives for the 2028 elections.

Many of his supporters, interviewed by AFP in Atlanta in recent days, openly express support for the re-elected senator's eventual candidacy.

"I will support him, without a doubt, if that's what he decides to do," promises Tracie Moore, a black entrepreneur in her 50s who showed up to celebrate his re-election on Tuesday night.

"I would hate to lose him, so I'm being a little selfish here, I don't want him to run for president, precisely because of the good work he's done in Georgia," confessed Michael Diaz, a 22-year-old legal assistant.

The result gives a greater boost to the Democratic Party in its attempt to gain ground since Trump's return to the White House.

During the campaign, Jon Ossoff caught media attention, in part, because of the way he described Trump during a rally: "He sleeps in meetings. He plays golf and sells stocks. He doesn't want to do the job (of president). He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie in his flying palace (...) offered by the emir of Qatar."

The phrase hit the nail on the head. The video went viral on social media and, as a bonus, brought Natalie Harp, Donald Trump's omnipresent but little-known advisor, into the spotlight.

In addition to this moment of media repercussion, his supporters praise his "authenticity", his "empathy" and his ability to gain support across party lines.

"When he speaks, he reminds me of Barack Obama (...) he is authentic," says Mary, a black woman in her sixties who participated in the door-to-door campaign.

Ossoff's first victory dates back to 2021, when he triumphed in an initially unfavorable race against the Republican senator seeking re-election.

Born into a Jewish family in Atlanta, Jon Ossoff then became the youngest senator of that legislative period, at 33 years old.