YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Republicans are hoping President Donald Trump's repeated visits to Ohio will reinvigorate voters, particularly those they worry aren't motivated to support their candidates.
From traveling the country for rallies to using taxpayer dollars to fund his own political ads during the midterms, Trump is trying to spread his name far and wide in order to increase voter turnout.
"Pretend that I'm on the ballot just one more time," Trump said in late August.
A judge just clamped down on his ads, saying the Trump administration must pull down the taxpayer-funded ads. Now, he is visiting battleground states and cities.
"We're taking nothing for granted here," Mason Di Palma with the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) said.
Trump is headed to Youngstown on Monday to campaign for U.S. Sen. Jon Husted and candidate for governor Vivek Ramaswamy. This is his second rally for them within 10 days. He spoke in Dayton in early October.
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The GOP is hoping that the president can help energize the base, Di Palma said. Several lawmakers agreed.
"There are people out there saying, 'I trust Republicans, but I don't feel it in my wallet yet,'" he said. "You've got to portray to people that this is more about the long-term game here... It is not going to be solved 1, 2, 3."
But Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair Chris Anderson said he doesn’t think it will work. Youngstown is a swing city, one that historically voted for Democrats but has shifted red, helping Trump win the 2024 election.
"It's not the same Mahoning County," Anderson said. "It's not draped in Make America Great Again signs."
Strategists have told us that the speech location is purposeful. Youngstown is Democratic candidate for governor Dr. Amy Acton's hometown, known for its strong manufacturing community and split-ticket voters.
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"Folks have realized they were sold a false bill of goods," Anderson said. "[Trump] promised on day one that he and his administration were gonna tackle inflation; inflation's gotten worse."
He doesn't think voters want to give the Republicans another chance to make things worse, Anderson said, especially not Husted and Ramaswamy.
"Remember that the arsonists that set these fires are now saying they're the only ones who can put them out," the Democrat said.
Di Palma acknowledged that spending taxpayer dollars to air positive ads about the president is not helping the Republican cause.
Follow Statehouse and Columbus bureau reporter Morgan Trau on X, Instagram and Facebook. Email her at Morgan.Trau@wews.com.
