Donald Trump talks about 'bloodbath,' attacks immigrants as he rallies for Republican Senate pick in Ohio
Winner of Tuesday's primary will take on Sen. Sherrod Brown in a race that could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate
Haley BeMillerFormer President Donald Trump visited Ohio on Saturday to tout his chosen Senate candidate as the bruising Republican primary in the pivotal swing state nears its end.
Trump called on the crowd to back businessman Bernie Moreno, who is running for the GOP nomination against Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan. The winner of Tuesday's primary will take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in a costly, nationally-watched race that could determine which party controls the Senate.
While Ohio's Senate race was the onus for his visit, Trump also used the occasion to rally supporters in a state he won by 8 points in 2016 and 2020. He bemoaned his docket of court cases, railed against President Joe Biden and called for one-day elections − even as Ohio Republicans promote early voting for 2024.
"If I get elected − now if I don't get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath," Trump said as he pledged to impose tariffs on foreign-made cars. "That's going to be the least of it. It's going to be a bloodbath for the country."
The former president also repeated unfounded attacks against immigrants, saying some who are accused of crimes are "not people."
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Trump endorsed Moreno back in December, which many observers thought would make Moreno the clear front-runner. Instead, the candidates are locked in a tight battle as the race nears its end, with many Republicans still unsure who to support. That left allies of Moreno and Trump − who brags about the power of his endorsements − scrambling to push Moreno across the finish line.
“Bernie is a political outsider who’s spent his entire life building up Ohio communities,” Trump said. “He’s highly respected all over the country, and he’s going to be a warrior in Washington.”
Ahead of Trump's remarks, Moreno blasted his opponents as he called for deporting all undocumented immigrants and eliminating the Department of Education. Other speakers, including Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, cast Moreno as an ally of the former president who will advocate for his interests in Washington.
"This is the last gasp of breath of the swamp-RINO establishment in Ohio," Moreno told the crowd. "I need you on Tuesday to stab it right in the heart and make it clear that in Ohio, we put America first."
Ohio Senate race heats up as Trump visits Ohio
Trump's visit added gasoline to a primary contest that's heated up in recent weeks.
Independent polling has been limited, but two surveys released this week showed Moreno and Dolan fighting for the lead with a plurality of voters undecided. While LaRose boasts the highest name recognition, his campaign appears to be languishing as Dolan enjoys late momentum. Dolan also secured key endorsements from Gov. Mike DeWine and former Sen. Rob Portman.
Dolan was the focus of Trump's attacks on Saturday. Trump never mentioned LaRose, whom he endorsed for secretary of state in 2022.
The former president criticized Dolan's support of certain gun reforms and argued he would be "weak on borders, weak on crime." Dolan's father owns the Cleveland Guardians, and Trump went after Dolan for the team's decision to change the Indians mascot. (Dolan says he doesn't have a day-to-day role with the Guardians.)
"Bernie's running against a weak RINO named Matt Dolan," Trump said. "He's trying to become the next Mitt Romney. I think Mitt Romney is his hero."
Unlike Moreno and LaRose, Dolan didn't endorse Trump in the presidential primary. Dolan has said he supports the former president's policies but doesn't necessarily click with his personality.
"If that person supports Trump because that person liked the policies that were put in place − that we were stronger in the world, that we had less taxes, that we had a secure border − then look at me because these are a lot of the things I was able to accomplish in my time in Ohio," Dolan told reporters Wednesday.
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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.