Ossoff tests Democrats' appetite for going low

The firestorm over Sen.

Jon Ossoff 's suggestive remark about President Trump 's right-hand woman has raised a bigger question about the type of campaign Democrats will run in 2028.

Why it matters: Trump has made schoolyard taunts and personal insults a staple of presidential politics.

One of the big strategic calls for Democrats in 2028 is whether to fight on Trump's terms — or bet that voters are exhausted and ready for something a bit more dignified.

Driving the news: At a campaign rally Sunday, Ossoff went a step beyond the cutting one-liners he's delighted Democratic audiences with, veering into personal insinuation.

"He doesn't want to do the job," Ossoff said of Trump.

"He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar." The Natalie he referenced was Trump's 35-year-old aide Natalie Harp, who is constantly by his side and serves as a gatekeeper of what he reads.

It was widely interpreted as insinuating that their relationship goes beyond work.

Trump and his aides unloaded: The president compared Ossoff to Pee-wee Herman, while White House communications director Steven Cheung called him a "cuck loser." Other Republicans called Ossoff sexist.

Democrats refrained from criticizing Ossoff, though former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki pressed him on why he went there.

Ossoff kept at it on Tuesday, calling Trump a "draft-dodging crook" during a campaign event — without referring to Harp.

The big picture: Ossoff's earlier remark generated enormous attention and highlighted an emerging divide among top Democrats that's more about temperament than ideology.

California Gov.

Gavin Newsom — a potential contender for the White House in 2028 — and Ossoff, who insists he isn't, are staking out the pugilist end of the spectrum.