Trump kicks off Ohio campaign in Cincinnati
Supporters: He’s kept his pledges. Democrats: He’s ‘failed’ Ohio.
In a rare joint CINCINNATI — appearance, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence held a campaign rally Thursday in Cincinnati, one of the first official campaign events in Ohio for the 2020 election.
“We’re doing good, it’s great to be back in this state I love,” Trump said at U.S. Bank Arena.
Trump focused on military strength and the economy early in the speech.
The president criticized Democrats for what he calls “their support for open borders.”
“They put foreign citizens before American citizens,” Trump said of Democrats.
Before Trump took the stage, Pence focused on the importance of Ohio in the 2020 election. No Republican has ever won the White House without winning in Ohio.
“We’re here for one reason only. Ohio and America need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House,” Pence said. “It’s time for round 2, Ohio.”
This is the 29th rally Trump has had in Ohio. Trump won Ohio by 8 points in 2016, but a poll by Quinnipiac University shows Trump behind or nearly tied with the top Democratic candidates. The poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden leading Trump in Ohio by eight points.
Pence made clear the campaign message will focus on positive economic numbers.
“Our agenda is simple, jobs, jobs, jobs,” he said. “Prosper- ity is back again, confidence is back again,” he said.
June McQueen from Hamilton says this is her second time seeing Trump.
She said the economy and health care are the issues she cares most about. “He seems to be doing great on both,” she said.
Trump’s visit comes the day after the last Democratic candidates debate in Detroit.
”What we’ve seen out of the Democratic debates the last two nights is a stark contrast of what he’s been trying to accomplish,” Eric Hain- line of West Carrollton said.
Robyn McGrail was cele- brating her 44th wedding anniversary with husband Mike by attending their third Trump rally. She says if the chant begins, she’ll probably cheer because she loves her country and if they “don’t like America, they should leave.”
Hundreds of people are shouting “Resist!” in responses to a speaker’s bullhorn call to “Dump Trump!” in a demonstration near the arena.
People assembled at the National Underground Rail- road Freedom Center an hour before Trump’s event.
Other Ohio Democrats spoke out against Trump.
”Donald Trump has made big promises to the people of Ohio, and he has broken nearly every one,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper. “From Lordstown to Cincinnati and every point in between, Donald Trump keeps making promises to the people of Ohio. Time and time again, he keeps breaking those promises, and working Ohioans are paying the price.”
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, criticized the president for his infrastructure promises including getting money for the Brent Spence Bridge which carries I-75 and I-71 across the Ohio River from Cincinnati to Kentucky.
”President Trump made a lot of promises to Ohio workers and families, but he has failed to deliver on those promises,” Brown said. “The President promised to fix the Brent Spence Bridge, to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure projects and to support American workers. Instead, we’ve seen a President who has betrayed workers by pursuing policies — like his $1.5 trillion tax bill — that favor the wealthy and big corporations over working families.”