Former President Donald Trump is speaking in Ohio tonight to stump for author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance in the final hours of the state’s contentious U.S. Senate race, but he may steal the show from Tuesday’s election.
More:Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he will attend Trump rally near Dayton
Trump is addressing a crowd at Dayton International Airport in Vandalia. The visit comes on the eve of midterm elections that will decide which party controls Congress, as well as governors’ offices and state legislatures across the country.
Trump kicked off his remarks by urging people to vote for Vance and the DeWine-Husted ticket for governor.
“J.D., you have some very good polls. What the hell am I doing here?” Trump said.
Trump’s visit is billed as an effort to energize voters for Tuesday’s election and get Vance across the finish line of a tight Senate race against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan. It could also have implications for the 2024 presidential race: The former president is widely expected to announce a reelection bid this month, and some reports have suggested he could break the news as early as Monday night.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., added to the speculation of Trump running again.
“When we reelect him, he’ll put an end to the Obama-Biden dynasty,” Greene said Monday night.
Republicans from Ohio’s congressional delegation, along with newcomers running for office, took the stage Monday ahead of Trump’s remarks to warm up the crowd. One of the most-watched races is the 9th Congressional District near Toledo, where longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur is running against Republican newcomer J.R. Majewski.
“I hope we hear the announcement we’ve been waiting for, Trump 2024!” Majewski told the crowd.
National news outlets say Trump close on announcement
On Monday, The Hill and the Washington Post reported that Trump was talking with aides about making the announcement during his Ohio rally. Axios reported that the event will be closely watched by Republicans who are “anticipating (an) accelerated announcement” from Trump.
“Trump should announce tonight,” tweeted U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who has campaigned for Vance. “His candidates won the primaries. Biden’s central message was the ‘ULTRA MAGA’ scare. And we are going to win BIGLY! Trump deserves all the credit for this wave election & announcing tonight he will seize it.”
Ohio Senate campaigns react
Trump won the Buckeye State by 8 percentage points in 2016 and 2020, making Ohio a friendly setting for a potential reelection announcement. But the former president is known for being unpredictable, and it’s not yet clear what the crowd in Vandalia can expect from him Monday night.
“It would be very fitting and very funny if J.D. Vance, who has spent his entire campaign relying on help from out of state and humiliating himself to get on Trump’s good side, spent the last night of this election getting upstaged in truly spectacular fashion,” Ryan spokeswoman Izzi Levy said.
Vance’s campaign, meanwhile, said they weren’t concerned about how a potential announcement could affect the Senate race.
“Donald Trump being here is a huge advantage to juice up the GOP base,” campaign adviser Jai Chabria said. “Perhaps we would be worried if Tim Ryan brought in yet another celebrity who could really solidify his faux working man image.”
Vance told the crowd Monday night he expects to win on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be fun to beat Tim Ryan tomorrow,” Vance said. “I’m going to enjoy it.”
Voters weigh in on Vance, DeWine
Ohioans who attended the rally were unsurprisingly ready to vote for Republicans up and down the ticket on Tuesday, saying Democrats are taking the country in the wrong direction.
But some of them weren’t thrilled about their options.
“I don’t think he’s run a great campaign,” Julie Matheny said of Vance. “Just hasn’t been visible enough. He’s kind of boring.”
Vance faced some backlash among Trump’s supporters for his critical remarks of the former president during the 2016 campaign. Vance admitted he was wrong about Trump and ultimately secured his support during the GOP primary.
Trump’s supporters have been less forgiving of DeWine, who fended off a primary challenge largely driven by frustration over his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several who attended Monday’s event said they would vote for the governor in Tuesday’s election to keep the seat in Republican hands, even though they weren’t happy with him.
When asked why some Ohioans are casting ballots for DeWine and Ryan, Debbie Burnam attributed it to Vance’s past comments of Trump.
“I think what it is is because J.D Vance didn’t support Trump at the beginning, and also we have so many union workers that are probably for Tim Ryan,” Burnam said. “But I think it’s because he didn’t support Trump at the very beginning, and I think that people just don’t forget that, especially Republicans.”
This story will be updated.
Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
Nolan Simmons is a fellow in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism’s Statehouse News Bureau.