Trump targets Ohio Senate race in Chillicothe rally

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed more than 3,000 supporters at the Shoemaker Center in Chillicothe on Wednesday. He used the event to campaign for Senate candidate Jon Husted and Governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Hundreds of additional attendees watched from screens outside the venue.

Trump focused his remarks on boosting his allies ahead of the midterm elections. He praised Husted’s physical appearance, a reference to Husted’s background as a college football player at the University of Dayton. Three hecklers were removed by police during the speech. One shouted that Trump had traveled on Jeffrey Epstein’s plane. Trump countered that Epstein was a Democrat and said he had kicked him out of a club about 20 years ago.

Senator Bernie Moreno spoke at the rally about the Pixelle paper mill, which closed last year. He promised that the paper manufacturing portion of the plant would be revitalized. Employees who said their jobs were saved by his efforts stood to applaud. Moreno also attacked Democratic former Senator Sherrod Brown, a candidate in the same Senate race.

Husted challenged Brown’s record during his segment. He asked voters if they could name a single thing Brown had done to improve their lives. Husted noted that Brown has been in office for over 50 years. The Cook Political Report currently rates the Husted-Brown race as a toss-up. A decision in this race could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

Trump also defended Ramaswamy’s controversial campaign ad featuring Amy Acton’s mother. The ad claimed Acton lied about living in a tent during a period of homelessness. Court records show Acton was telling the truth. Trump called the criticism of the ad unfair. Ramaswamy, who was present, did not mention the ad and instead criticized Acton for her time as state health director during the early pandemic.

Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney held a press conference near the Ross County Courthouse before the rally. He described Trump’s visit as a Hail Mary pass. Feeney criticized the new tenants at the Pixelle mill, noting that fewer than one-tenth of laid-off workers were rehired. He praised Brown for stopping the closure of the local VA facility.

Early voting was open in Ross County while the rally took place. More than 6,000 people have cast in-person early ballots in the county, with another 2,000 submitting mail-in ballots. The county voted for Republican JD Vance in the last midterm election. It last supported a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996.