A day after Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff roasted Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) during a segment of their debate that went viral, the Georgia senator called off what was supposed to be their final debate on Sunday and decided to join President Trump at his Georgia rally that night instead.
In a statement issued Thursday, Perdue’s campaign sarcastically explained why the senator has instead opted to campaign for President Trump on Sunday night and accused Ossoff of lying to the people of Georgia.
“As lovely as another debate listening to Jon Ossoff lie to the people of Georgia sounds, Senate Perdue will not be participating in the WSB-TV debate but will instead join the 45th president, Donald J. Trump, for a huge Get-Out-the-Vote rally in Northwest Georgia,” Perdue’s Senate campaign communications director John Burke said.
Burke touted that Perdue spent the last 14 days of his campaign going “back to Washington to work for much needed COVID relief for Georgians” and threw “Ossoff’s top donor” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) under the bus for supposedly having “derailed” that effort.
Burke also ripped Senate Democrats for not “crossing over” to vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett — an observation that he tried to use against Ossoff by saying that Perdue’s Democratic challenger “would have joined their opposition had he been in the Senate.”
Burke concluded that Perdue is “making up for lost time” by having more than 20 campaign stops planned in the last few days of the Senate race and is “excited” to join forces with Trump in Georgia for both of their re-election efforts.
Ossoff swiftly swiped at Perdue in a tweet for abruptly pulling out of what was supposed their final debate.
BREAKING: Senator Perdue just cancelled our final debate.
At last night's debate, millions saw that Perdue had no answers when I called him out on his record of blatant corruption, widespread disease, and economic devastation.
Shame on you, Senator.
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) October 29, 2020
Perdue’s decision to pull out of his final Georgia Senate debate against Ossoff happened just hours after his Democratic challenger’s scathing takedown of him during their debate Wednesday night went viral.
Ossoff took the GOP incumbent to task during the debate by calling him a “crook.” Ossoff roasted Perdue over the legal trouble he’s had with his business and his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. David Perdue is out for himself — not for our health. pic.twitter.com/zbtmw6rU4Q
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) October 29, 2020
Perdue’s re-election battle against Ossoff is so close that Sabato’s Crystal Ball reclassified it from “leans Republican” to “toss up.” Real Clear Politics ranked the Georgia Senate race as a “toss up” as well, with Perdue holding a tiny 0.2% lead over Ossoff in the final few days leading up to the election.
