The U.S. president, Donald Trump, took advantage of a rally in Ohio on Saturday to mix aggressive attacks on Democrats with promises of financial aid if the Republicans win the midterm elections.
He also warned that he would be less willing to cooperate with the state if the Democrats were to win.
“Just go out and vote,” Trump told a rally in support of Republican candidates, including Senator Jon Husted and Ohio’s gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. “If you do this, we’ll win, and we’ll win big, and we’ll shove it down their throats.”
Several sitting Republican senators nationwide are facing strong headwinds in the November 3 elections, with Trump’s popularity waning in recent months as higher gasoline prices and other essentials persist amid the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. Both Husted and Ramaswamy are in tight races against Democratic opponents.
Former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is running against Husted. Amy Acton faces Ramaswamy.
Polls suggest that Democrats could gain ground in the midterm elections, which will decide control of the House and Senate, both tightly divided, but Trump said Republicans would perform better than critics expect.
“I think we’re going to have a big surprise because they don’t know what’s going on,” he told the crowd in Vandalia, Ohio.
The Ohio race is among eight closely watched U.S. Senate contests. The state has become an electoral battlefield around data centers and cultural-war issues, such as gender-transition surgeries for youths.
Trump repeatedly attacked the Democrats during his speech, going so far as to call them “stupid fucking sons of bitches,” while arguing that keeping Republican control would give Ohio officials a direct line to his administration and would make it easier for the state to secure federal aid.
He said that elected Ohio Republican officials often call him seeking resources for the state, adding that he would be less inclined to help the Democrats if they won major battles. Referring to Acton, Trump said: “But I’m not going to help her.”
Trump won more than 55% of the vote in Ohio in the 2024 presidential election, but economic concerns since then have driven his popularity down.
Gasoline prices in Ohio have risen 35% over the past year, averaging $4.16 per gallon, according to AAA, which compiles travel data. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs, prompted by Trump’s trade policy, have affected about $3 billion in Ohio exports, based on 2025 figures, according to CBC reported.
