2026-08-01 · contested story
Collins refuses to answer questions on possible white supremacist ties
Representative Mike Collins, a Georgia Republican Senate candidate, abruptly ended a press conference on July 30, 2026, after refusing to answer reporters' questions about his son-in-law David Alan Scheer II's documented history of promoting white nationalist content online, including posts from hate group Patriot Front and antisemitic conspiracy theories. CNN had previously reported that Scheer, who is married to Collins' daughter, appears in campaign photos, is registered to vote at a Collins-owned property, attended Collins' victory party, and produced promotional work for Collins' trucking company—yet Collins has refused to say whether he paid Scheer through his business, campaign, or congressional office.
Left-leaning outlets framed Collins' refusal to answer as a troubling evasion that suggests complicity with extremism. The New Republic wrote that Collins 'fled his own press conference' when 'faced with a question about his son-in-law's social media posts promoting white nationalism,' while Raw Story described him as a 'GOP candidate tied to Nazi lover' who 'abruptly flees event after onslaught of questions.' Center outlets like USA Today and CNN focused on the factual timeline of Collins' refusal to denounce the content or answer questions about payments, noting he is also under a separate House ethics investigation for allegedly misusing congressional funds. Right-leaning sources were largely absent from coverage of this story, with the exception of tangential references in National Review and Fox News articles about unrelated topics, suggesting many conservative outlets chose not to cover the controversy at all.
How each side frames it
left
"fled his own press conference Thursday when faced with a question about his son-in-law's social media posts promoting white nationalism"
"Although Collins claims to have 'fully addressed' his son-in-law's actions, his prior response was far from a condemnation. 'Nobody speaks for me, and I don't speak for anybody else,' Collins told reporters last week. He also removed a photograph featuring Scheer from his campaign's website."
"Collins is a bigot and an antisemite and Georgians deserve answers"
"Collins is also facing scrutiny for a slew of other scandals, including an active federal investigation into the illegal misuse of tax dollars, renewed scrutiny over his office's ties to prominent white supremacists and its efforts to free a Holocaust denier, as well as outrage over his antisemitic harassment of a Jewish reporter and praise for the viciously racist harassment with monkey sounds of a Black woman on a college campus."
"Mike Collins is pathetically running away from accountability and outright refusing to answer questions about his 'close ties' to white nationalism and a neo-Nazi propagandist"
center
"Collins responded by saying 'nobody speaks for me,' but has yet to denounce the messages or speech used by his family member."
"Collins is also carrying a lot of political baggage. A recent CNN investigation found his son-in-law propped up white supremacist groups and spread anti-Semitic messages to a large online audience."
"Collins attempted to pivot away from the controversy by focusing on government oversight and his platform for Georgia. 'What we're doing is cleaning out the waste, fraud, and abuse,' Collins said."
"While the OCC is unable to comment on ongoing investigations, USA TODAY reached out to the office to clarify the next steps of the investigation should Collins win the Senate seat. We did not receive a response."
"On July 16, CNN's KFile published a report revealing that Collins' son-in-law, influencer David Alan Scheer II, using social media, promoted the white nationalist hate group Patriot Front, called for Muslims to be deported, and spread antisemitic conspiracy theories"
right
"paraphrased: The National Review article about Virginia politics and Maine Senate race mentions Graham Platner's Nazi tattoo scandal but does not mention the Mike Collins controversy at all"
"For years, the Left used the 'Jews will not replace us' 2017 Unite the Right rally as proof of rampant antisemitism on the Right. Turns out, it was underwritten by the Leftist SPLC, which allegedly funded organizers, supervised racist posts, and coordinated transportation."
"paraphrased: Journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon wrote on X that conservatives who argue the allegations raise questions about whether the SPLC's use of paid informants may have played a role in amplifying or facilitating extremist activity"
"paraphrased: Neither the New York Post article about white supremacist recruitment nor the Reason article about ACLU free speech policies mention the Collins controversy"
"paraphrased: The Fox News article focuses on the 2017 Charlottesville rally and SPLC funding allegations from years ago rather than current 2026 political candidate controversies"
What each side left out
The left left out — covered by the Yahoo News & Fox 5 Atlanta
- Collins' specific legislative accomplishments and policy positions
- Collins' voting record on Israel-related legislation
The left left out — covered by the USA Today
- The procedural details of the House ethics investigation timeline
The center left out — covered by the Georgia Democrat
- Direct quotes from David Alan Scheer II's actual social media posts
- Specific antisemitic content Scheer shared
The right left out — covered by the USA Today & The New Republic & Mediaite & Yahoo News & Ground News & Georgia Democrat & uPolitics & C-SPAN & Fox 5 Atlanta
- The entire Mike Collins controversy
The right left out — covered by the Georgia Democrat & USA Today
- Collins' refusal to answer whether he paid Scheer through his business or campaign
The center left out — covered by the Georgia Democrat
- Collins' other scandals including antisemitic harassment of a Jewish reporter and praise for racist harassment of a Black woman
What's actually true?
[verified] David Alan Scheer II promoted the white nationalist hate group Patriot Front on social media
[verified] Scheer is registered to vote at a Collins-owned property adjacent to the congressman's Georgia home
[verified] Scheer helped produce promotional work for Collins' trucking company
[verified] Collins is under a House ethics investigation for allegedly using congressional resources for 'unofficial or otherwise unauthorized purposes'
[verified] The House Committee on Ethics said there is 'substantial reason to believe that Rep. Collins used congressional resources' to pay an employee who did no work
[verified] Collins abruptly ended the press conference without answering questions about his son-in-law
[verified] Collins removed a photograph featuring Scheer from his campaign's website
[verified] Collins is refusing to say whether he ever paid Scheer either personally, or through his business, his campaign, or his congressional office
The narrative clash
Whether Collins adequately addressed the controversy
Left: Although Collins claims to have 'fully addressed' his son-in-law's actions, his prior response was far from a condemnation.
Right: You know, we've fully addressed that
The nature of Scheer's relationship to Collins
Left: Collins' son-in-law propped up white supremacist groups and spread anti-Semitic messages to a large online audience
Right: Nobody speaks for me, and I don't speak for anybody else
Whether the focus should be on Collins or Ossoff
Left: Georgians have a right to know the answers
Right: Jon Ossoff refuses to disavow these Democrat socialist movements in our country. As a matter of fact, he embraces them.
14 sources analyzed
USA Today The New Republic Mediaite Yahoo! Search Ground News georgiademocrat.org electjon.com upolitics.com C-SPAN Fox 5 Atlanta NY Post Reason Nat Review Fox News