Trump to speak at Dayton rally Saturday

FILE - Former President Donald Trump welcomes Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to the stage at a campaign rally in support of the campaign of Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance at Wright Bros. Aero Inc. at Dayton International Airport on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Vandalia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

FILE - Former President Donald Trump welcomes Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to the stage at a campaign rally in support of the campaign of Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance at Wright Bros. Aero Inc. at Dayton International Airport on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Vandalia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear as a guest speaker Saturday at a rally the Dayton International Airport.

Trump will make an appearance at the Buckeye Values PAC rally at Wright Bros. Aero Inc. at 3700 McCauley Drive, according to his website.

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He is scheduled to speak at 4 p.m. with doors opening for the event at noon.

Those interested in attending can get tickets at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/events.

The Buckeye Values PAC is calling the event a get out the vote rally in support of Bernie Moreno, the Cleveland-area businessman running in the Ohio GOP primary for U.S. Senate against state Sen. Matt Dolan of Chagrin Falls and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose of Columbus. The winner will take on incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in November.

“President Trump is a transformational leader for America and we are so excited to rally with him ahead of Tuesday’s crucial election. President Trump knows just how important this election is — it’s a contest between the America-First Republican Party and the broken down RINO establishment,” Moreno said in a statement released by his campaign.

“While I have earned the support of America-First, conservative warriors like President Trump, Senator J.D. Vance and Congressman Jim Jordan, my opponent, Matt Dolan, is backed by by leaders of the America-Last establishment wing of the GOP like Mike DeWine and Rob Portman. The contrast in this primary could not be clearer and I’m confident Ohioans are ready to send President Trump a true ally to the US Senate.”

Trump’s most recent campaign stop in the area was also at Wright Bros. Aero, where he campaigned on Nov. 7, 2022 for J.D. Vance, who was elected to the U.S. Senate later that month.

Moreno is the only candidate in the race endorsed by Trump. He also has endorsements from Vance, and area congressmen Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy; and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana.

While the Trump endorsement is the biggest get, the other candidates in the race boast prominent endorsements as well.

Dolan was endorsed this week by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and last week by former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman.

LaRose is endorsed by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton; and Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones.

“Bernie Moreno can’t beat Sherrod Brown and he won’t win this primary. This last minute attempt to drag his struggling campaign across the finish line will only make it harder and more expensive to win the senate in November,” said Dolan campaign spokesman Chris Maloney.

The campaign for LaRose did not respond to requests for comment.

Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman state Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp., said Montgomery County is a large, important county in the Ohio primary so it’s not surprising Trump would stump here for Moreno right before Election Day.

“There’s a lot of energy about former president Trump coming to our community,” he said. “It’ll be an interesting primary.”

Local Democrats meanwhile derided the planned Trump visit.

“Donald Trump and Bernie Moreno will take the stage on Saturday to push their anti-worker, anti-choice agenda for Ohio,” said Mohamed Al-Hamdani, chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Party. “Trump and Moreno are both out-of-touch millionaires who have been sued for stealing their employees’ wages and who support extreme national abortion bans. They don’t stand with Ohio’s working families and no amount of campaign rally lip-service will fool Ohio voters.”

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