Jon Ossoff is putting up one of the strongest Democratic performances in a 2028 presidential poll matchup with JD Vance - even as the Georgia senator insists he has 'zero interest' in running for president.

The latest Emerson College Polling survey for The Hill of 1,000 likely voters nationwide puts Ossoff ahead of Vance by five points, 49 percent to 44 percent. 

His lead narrows to three points when the Republican opponent is Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Those numbers put Ossoff in the upper tier of the Democratic contenders tested by Emerson - but the poll is a snapshot of hypothetical matchups more than a prediction of what the 2028 election will look like.

And there is another reason the Ossoff numbers are attracting attention.

Ossoff set off a firestorm when he took on Trump with his jab at his aide Natalie Harp, saying the President would rather 'build his ballroom and travel with Natalie' than do his job. 

The remark quickly became a viral political moment, thrusting Ossoff further into the 2028 conversation and highlighting his ability to attract attention and take on Trump head-on. 

The 39-year-old Georgia senator is running for re-election to the Senate, not the White House. 

He has repeatedly rejected speculation about a campaign, saying in June that he was 'not running for president in 2028' and had 'no interest' in doing so.

For now, Ossoff's stated focus is Georgia.

But a big re-election victory in the Peach State could change the political conversation.

A decisive win would give Ossoff another statewide victory, greater national visibility and a fresh mandate heading into the period when Democrats will begin seriously considering their 2028 options.

The Emerson survey tested Vance and Rubio against five Democrats: Ossoff, former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Governor Gavin Newsom, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former vice president Kamala Harris.

The poll, conducted between August 16 and 17, has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. 

A national vote does not elect the president. The White House is won through the Electoral College, meaning the battleground states, not a nationwide popularity contest, will ultimately decide who takes the Oval Office next. 

Buttigieg produced the same five-point advantage against both Republican contenders, making him the only Democrat in the survey to hold an identical margin against Vance and Rubio.

Buttigieg leads Vance by five points, 49 percent to 44 percent, the same lead Ossoff had secured. Ossoff's advantage was three against Rubio.

Newsom also led Vance, with his advantage narrowing to two points against Rubio.

Harris led Vance by four points but trailed Rubio by five, illustrating how much the Republican matchup mattered in the hypothetical contests.

The presidential hypotheticals come amid a difficult national environment for Republicans in the survey.

President Donald Trump's job approval stands at 40 percent, compared with 56 percent who disapprove. Among independents, disapproval reaches 66 percent, while 92 percent of Democrats disapprove.

The economy is the top issue for voters at 37 percent, followed by threats to democracy and healthcare, both at 16 percent, and immigration at 13 percent.

And the survey contains another striking finding: 23 percent of likely voters say they consider themselves supporters of the Democratic Socialists of America, while 60 percent say they are not supporters and 17 percent are unsure. Among Democrats, 46 percent identify as DSA supporters.

The Democratic Socialists' growing push inside the Democratic Party has produced a string of headline-grabbing primary battles this summer - with mixed results.

In Wisconsin, Democratic socialist Francesca Hong led the governor's race in the polls before narrowly losing the August 11 primary to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley by roughly 3,000 votes.

But elsewhere, the movement has scored major victories. Michigan progressive Abdul El-Sayed won his Senate primary.

Florida state Representative Angie Nixon, a DSA-backed Democratic socialist, stunned the political establishment by defeating heavily funded rival Alex Vindman to win the Democratic Senate nomination.