VANDALIA, Ohio — President Donald Trump rallied thousands of supporters in this Dayton suburb on Saturday night, backing U.S. Senator Jon Husted’s campaign and predicting a sweeping Republican victory in next month’s midterm elections — using a vulgarity to make the point.
“We’re going to win big,” Trump told the crowd, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer’s live coverage of the event. “And we’re going to shove it up their ass.” He described Democrats running against Republicans as “radical,” “communists,” “lunatics” and “sick people,” the newspaper reported.
“Just pretend I’m running,” Trump said, pressing supporters on the importance of holding Republican majorities in the House and Senate when control of Congress is decided on November 3.
Ohio’s Republican candidate for governor, Vivek Ramaswamy, also drew attention on stage when he struggled to lift a child — nearly dropping him — before hoisting the boy up, according to the Enquirer. Ramaswamy invited two children in the crowd onto the stage who held a sign indicating their father is deployed overseas. One of the children, 10-year-old Hunter, chanted “USA!” into the microphone after Ramaswamy lifted him up.
Video of the incident quickly circulated on social media, with one clip racking up hundreds of thousands of views, the newspaper reported.
Former NFL coach Jon Gruden made a surprise appearance at the rally, joining Husted on stage. Gruden, who coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win in the 2002 season, played football with Husted when both attended the University of Dayton. Gruden resigned as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 after racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments in emails reported by The New York Times.
“He will never quit, ever, on you or anybody,” Gruden said of Husted.