By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-09-02 17:46:26 | Updated at 2026-09-26 18:02:19
3 weeks ago
Democratic-backed independent Nebraska Senate candidate Dan Osborn admits he can’t openly side with Democratic talking points if he wants to stand a chance at unseating Republican incumbent Pete Ricketts in November, leaked audio showed.
While it is unclear when the audio was recorded or with whom Osborn is speaking, the undercover audio was shared by Townhall on Sunday, explaining the difficulty of pandering to his Democratic base while trying to remain palatable to more moderate Republicans.
“I have people recording me, so I can’t say I want to abolish ICE; I can’t say those words. I’ll be fucked,” Osborn said. (RELATED: Geriatric Democrat Senator Fends Off Young-Blood Challenger In Rare Win For Old Guard)
He continued, explaining that Nebraska is approximately 50 percent Republican, 26 percent Democratic and 24 percent independent, before arguing that he would need about 10 percent to 15 percent of the Republican vote to win the race.
🚨NEW
Nebraska Democrat Dan Osborn goes on an UNHINGED rant admitting he's a fraud too afraid to tell voters what he actually thinks:
"I have people recording me, I can't say I want to abolish ICE…I'll be fucked…Fuck no Jane, that's not how I win." pic.twitter.com/McZXUFGkk8
“How am I going to do that by fucking saying, ‘Oh, I love trans people, and they should be able to play in sports!’ Fuck no, Jane, that’s not how I win,” Osborn said, talking about Jane Kleeb, Nebraska’s Democratic Party chair.
The audio continues with Osborn explaining that he told Kleeb, “You gotta let me run my race, man. Like, I’m going to say some shit that is going to piss you off, but you gotta know at the end of the day it’s about beating Pete Ricketts,” according to The Plains Sentinel.
In a statement, Kleeb later said that the audio “shows that Dan doesn’t answer to me. He answers to voters,” The Plains Sentinel reported, adding that this is why the party is supporting Osborn: “We choose a mechanic over the billionaire Ricketts every day,” she added.
Osborn, whose campaign team did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment, has faced other controversies this election cycle, including calling for “preemptive” mental health checks for AR-15 owners and reports that his daughter has allegedly run multiple pornographic cam-girl accounts.
