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President Donald Trump visited Ohio Saturday night to promote what he calls a new “golden age” for America, highlighting billions of dollars of investment and new jobs in the Buckeye State while urging voters to help keep Republicans in power in November.
For the third time in as many nights, Trump rallied supporters outside Dayton for Republican Sen. Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, framing the midterm elections as an opportunity to extend the economic and political gains he said the Republican Party has made since returning to the White House.
And with his own name missing from the ballot, Trump gave the assembled voters a simple instruction.
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President Donald Trump takes the stage at the Butler-Vandalia Student Activities Center during a campaign rally Saturday, in Vandalia, Ohio. Trump is traveling across the United States in the final weeks before the midterm elections to campaign for Republican candidates. (Getty Images)
“Just act like I’m showing up,” Trump said. “When I run, we win.”
Trump, who carried Ohio during his three presidential campaigns, later echoed the same message as he sought to rally his political coalition behind Republicans fighting to maintain control of Congress.
“If you don’t mind, pretend I’m on the ballot,” Trump said. “And you need to run for a midterm victory.”
The president used much of the rally to lay out the economic case for the Republican ticket, declaring that Ohio was “booming” and praising the investments he attributed to its trade and tariff policies.
Trump highlighted a $400 million investment from Stellantis in Toledo and an $850 million investment in Electra aerospace near Springfield.
Weaving an anecdote about his daily aspirin consumption, the president also discussed Bayer’s plans for a $2.2 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing campus near Columbus, which the company says will support about 600 permanent jobs and 1,500 construction jobs.
“Your state is booming,” Trump told the assembled crowd. “All states are booming.”
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A supporter holds a “Trump Country” flag as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday. (AFP via Getty Images)
Trump attributed the investments to his tariff program, saying the United States was finally leveling the playing field after years of other countries slapping tariffs on American products while providing strong incentives for companies to build at home.
The president also threw his support behind Husted’s Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation aimed at protecting consumers from additional electricity costs associated with data centers.
“We want them,” Trump said of data centers. “There’s so much money to be made for Ohio. You can’t just turn them off. They’ll go to China.”
Husted introduced the bill to the Senate days before the rally, where it did not advance. President Trump pledged to sign it if Congress could send it to his desk.
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Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Jon Husted and former NFL coach Jon Gruden listen as President Donald Trump speaks at the Butler-Vandalia Student Activities Center during a campaign rally in Vandalia, Ohio. (Getty Images)
“I will sign this Taxpayer Protection Act immediately,” Trump said.
Trump expanded his victory lap from Ohio to the entire country, praising record stock markets, manufacturing growth, investment and jobs while comparing his own administration’s economic record with that of former President Joe Biden.
“Our nation is better than ever,” Trump said.
He also praised Republican-backed tax provisions, including no tax on tips and overtime, and reiterated his previously announced proposal to provide $5,000 payments to adult Americans if Republicans retain the House and Senate.
Trump then turned his attention to immigration and Springfield, Ohio, dedicating his recitation of the poem “The Serpent” to the city that has become a national hot spot during the 2024 presidential campaign following an influx of Haitian nationals into the community.
President Donald Trump smiles during a campaign rally in Ohio. (AFP via Getty Images)
“I dedicate this to Springfield, Ohio,” Trump said. “They went through hell.”
After finishing the poem, which the president has long admired as an allegory for immigration, he told the crowd, “This is what happened at our border,” before praising his administration’s crackdown on immigration.
The president also briefly discussed Venezuela, saying the United States had more than recouped the costs of its military operation against former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro thanks to the country’s vast oil resources.
“We have paid the cost of war time and time again,” Trump said. “We’re making a fortune from this.”
President Donald Trump takes the stage at the Butler-Vandalia Student Activities Center during a campaign rally in Vandalia, Ohio. (Getty Images)
Trump repeatedly addressed the 31-day election in his remarks, urging Ohioans to support Husted, Ramaswamy and Republican congressional candidates.
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He also touted Ohio as a potential home for the United States National Space Academy, citing both the state’s aviation history and the Wright Brothers.
“If we win the midterm elections, Ohio will be considered very, very strongly,” Trump said. “I really want you to go vote for John Husted and Vivek again.”
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