AUGUSTA, GEORGIA — U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff criticized former President Donald Trump's foreign policy and alleged corruption within his administration during a campaign rally in Augusta, Georgia. The Democrat, who is seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate in November, addressed the war on Iran and the conduct of Trump's family members.

Ossoff opened by referencing a recent visit to the state by Vice President JD Vance. "I don't know if you saw, but JD Vance was in Georgia this week. Don't worry – no one showed up," he said.

Turning to the conflict with Iran, he accused the former president of avoiding military service while committing U.S. forces abroad. "Because draft-dodging Donald loves sending other people's children to war." The White House has requested $200 billion to pay for the war on Iran, in which 13 U.S. soldiers and thousands of civilians have died. The United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal under Trump, after which Iran assembled a stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Ossoff also questioned statements made by Trump about the Strait of Hormuz. "Yesterday, day 49, Trump said Iran had opened the strait – except this morning the strait was closed, and it looks like Iran hit a cargo ship," he said.

He then shifted to Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, asking the crowd: "How much do you guys know about Jared Kushner, Ivanka's husband? He's on the Saudi payroll for $2bn, did you know that? And now he's leading American diplomacy in the Middle East, apparently, while at the very same time asking princes and sheikhs across the Arab world to give him billions more."

He continued: "Can you imagine, like a normal, sitting US ambassador just hitting up Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for billions of dollars? But he's a Trump, a royal, a princeling. The rules are for us, not for them."

He added that the conduct extended beyond Kushner. "And it's not just Jared getting in on the action. Never before have we seen so little effort to hide so much corruption. The Mar-a-Lago mafia has taken American corruption to spectacular new heights."