Inside Mike Collins’ private meeting with Jewish leaders

Today’s newsletter highlights:

• Test your knowledge with our weekly news quiz.
• Rick Jackson’s spending rivals national mega groups battling for control of Congress.
• National Democrats are fretting that John Fetterman will switch parties.

Damage control

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins speaks to supporters following his victory in the U.S. Senate runoff election last month. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Mike Collins had two very different encounters this week with questions about his son-in-law’s antisemitic and white nationalist social media posts.

At a healthcare event Thursday, the Republican U.S. Senate nominee dismissed reporters’ questions, insisting the matter had been “fully addressed” before abruptly ending the news conference.

The night before, however, Collins quietly met with roughly 50 Jewish community members at the Sandy Springs home of businessman and philanthropist Kirk Halpern.

The gathering was scheduled as a policy discussion before reports surfaced about David Alan Scheer II, Collins’ son-in-law, whose social media accounts featured Nazi imagery, antisemitic conspiracy theories and white nationalist propaganda. But Halpern said the controversy dominated much of Wednesday’s discussion.

Halpern emerged impressed, describing Collins as an advocate for “commonsense policy” and a defender of Jewish values.

“I saw a good man in my home,” he said. “You can’t pick your family.”

That contrasts with the case Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is making. Georgia’s first Jewish senator has held a series of events condemning Collins as an “antisemitic bigot” and demanding that he disclose more details about his relationship with Scheer.

“He is refusing to answer questions, and Georgians have a right to know the answer to these questions,” Ossoff said, adding: “He needs to apologize for his ties to white nationalism and neo-Nazi ideology, and he needs to say whether he or his businesses have paid this neo-Nazi.”

Halpern, meanwhile, offered a striking defense of Collins.

“If I was in a room with eight neo-Nazis and I had to pick one man to be in that room with me, after Wednesday night I’d pick Mike Collins,” he said. “I say that because there’s no question in my mind that the first thing Mike Collins would do is tell those eight men why they’re wrong. If Mike was unable to convince them, and it got to a physical fight, there’s no question in my mind he’d be fighting alongside me.”

Friday news quiz

Florida sandhill cranes are seen at Georgia's Okefenokee swamp in 2025. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Good morning! How closely did you follow the news this week? Find out by taking our quiz. You’ll find the answers at the end of the newsletter.

The World Heritage Committee added Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Where did the committee meet to make this decision?

• A) Paris.
• B) Busan, South Korea.
• C) Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• D) Tunis, Tunisia.

Howard University unenrolled 502 students just before classes were set to start. What prompted the decision?

• A) The students refused to sign the code of conduct, which had been recently revised to remove diversity, equity and inclusion language.
• B) The Trump administration canceled $50 million in federal grants for the school.
• C) Building inspectors condemned an aging residence hall where the students were supposed to live.
• D) The students missed the deadline to either pay tuition or make a payment arrangement.

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee rejected Georgia’s request to hold its 2028 presidential primary earlier in the calendar. Who did the committee choose to go first?

• A) New Hampshire.
• B) Iowa.
• C) South Carolina.
• D) Nevada.

Mourners attended a funeral in Washington for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham this week. What former Georgia politician was an honorary pallbearer?

• A) Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.
• B) Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
• C) Former Gov. Nathan Deal.
• D) Former U.S. Rep. Jody Hice.

Fetterman’s take

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks to supporters at a rally in Savannah last month. (Sarah Peacock for the AJC)

National Democrats are fretting that U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania will switch parties given his often harsh criticism of party leadership.

But there’s one Democrat Fetterman loves to laud: Jon Ossoff.

Fetterman listed Ossoff as one of the “good Democrats” during an appearance on Fox News earlier this month. And on Thursday, he was confident Ossoff would win reelection.

“Ossoff’s going to mop the floor of any of them,” Fetterman said, according to NOTUS reporter Igor Bobic. “It’s not in play … if the Republicans want to piss their money away in Georgia, Ossoff skates.”

Big spender

Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson speaks at President Donald Trump's rally at Wheeler High School in Marietta earlier this month. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Rick Jackson isn’t just flooding Georgia’s airwaves. He’s now spending at a level that rivals the national mega groups battling for control of Congress.

When future reservations are included, the Republican nominee for governor has booked $101.9 million in advertising — the sixth-highest total of any advertiser this election cycle.

That puts Jackson in rarefied company, according to the AdImpact media tracking firm.

The only groups or candidates ahead of him are two of the nation’s leading congressional super PACs, two major Democratic groups and Tom Steyer, a billionaire who waged a failed bid for California governor.

Dr. Dawg, M.D.

Officials gathered for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the University of Georgia's School of Medicine in April 2024. (Fletcher Page/AJC)

Just two years after lawmakers approved $50 million to create a new medical school at the University of Georgia, the school is wrapping up orientation for its first class of medical students this week.

It wasn’t easy to get a spot in the inaugural class. According to The Red & Black, more than 2,000 people applied to be in the first group of 64 aspiring physicians. Of the students accepted, 95% are Georgia residents, while 80% received their undergraduate degrees from in-state institutions.

The new UGA med school is the state’s second public medical school and is part of lawmakers’ efforts to broaden access to healthcare in the state by expanding the number of doctors trained here.

Gov. Brian Kemp helped break ground for construction of the new medical school building in 2024. It is expected to open in December.

Listen up

The “Politically Georgia” podcast is off today. We’ll see you Monday, when we’ll answering questions from listeners.

You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

New CDC chief

Dr. Erica Schwartz testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee confirmation hearing earlier this month to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)

Dr. Erica Schwartz is one step closer to becoming director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a Senate committee signed off on her nomination, Tia Mitchell reports.