Sunday, May 24, 2026
Vol. VIII
Est. 2019

The Mind Shield

News · Opinion · Politics · Analysis

Republican Senate candidate campaign mocks rival’s adviser using wife’s rape allegation against Lauer.

Republican Senate candidate campaign mocks rival’s adviser using wife’s rape allegation against Lauer.

The campaign for Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) is under fire after mocking an advisor for his rival’s campaign using his wife’s past rape allegations against former NBC anchor Matt Lauer.

In a post on social media Friday, Luke Thompson, an advisor to former college football coach Derek Dooley, shared new polling data showing that the runoff election between Dooley and Collins has tightened.

“48 hours later, and the Collins lead has cut in half. Dooley beats [Democratic Sen. Jon] Ossoff. Collins can’t. Not hard to understand,” Thompson wrote.

Collins’ campaign replied to Thompson’s post, writing, “Matt Laurer’s [sic] sloppy seconds chiming in to take an L.”

The campaign later deleted the post.

Veteran Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Greg Bluestein explained that Thompson’s wife accused Lauer of sexual assault and attempted to take her own life.

“A campaign account for Senate candidate Mike Collins mocks an adviser to rival Derek Dooley’s PAC whose wife attempted suicide after accusing Matt Lauer of rape,” Bluestein noted.

Collins and Dooley advanced to a run-off election after no candidate in the GOP primary reached 50% in Tuesday’s election. The winner of the runoff election will face incumbent Democratic senator Jon Ossoff in November. Sitting Republican governor Brian Kemp has endorsed Dooley, and Trump is reportedly considering endorsing Collins.