Thousands of people piled into the Delaware County Fairgrounds Saturday to listen to former President Donald Trump relive parts of his four years in office, promote his favored candidates and to rail against Democrats he called socialists and communists.
Doors opened at 2 p.m. and Trump took the stage just before 7 p.m., staying on for more than an hour.
Trump’s choice for Ohio Republican U.S. Senate race, candidate J.D. Vance, took the stage briefly with him as an “America first warrior.” Trump said he likes others running in the Republican primary, which will be decided May 3, but said Vance is the most likely to win.
Read: Ohio Voter Guide: What To Know About The 2022 Election
Trump admitted Vance said “some bad sh-- about” him, but said Vance “came back to” him and is a fearless fighter.
Vance said he was critical of Trump, but he turned out to be the “best president of” his lifetime and revealed corruption.
Trump criticized President Joe Biden heavily, knocking him for the handling of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, inflation, energy prices and policies at the southern border.
He praised gains he said his administration made in boosting trade for places like Ohio that rely on manufacturing.
Whenever Trump mentioned 2024, the crowd chanted his name. They also chanted “USA, USA” and “Save our kids” when Trump spoke about “parents’ rights.”
Representatives for numerous other Republican candidates were there with signs, as were the white supremacist group the Proud Boys and Bikers for Trump. An airplane circling the fairgrounds pulled a sign calling to “put Biden in a home.”
Trump lamented the 2020 election and falsely claimed that early voting resulted in fake ballots, but also told voters early voting has started in Ohio and that Buckeyes should head to the polls to vote for “America first” candidates.
Emerald McNair of Columbus said she will follow Trump’s advice.
She said Trump’s “America first” ideas speak to her and that she came out on the 84-degree and sunny day to hear more about his endorsements.
McNair said she values Trump’s opinion because of his Christian values.
Mike Theis from Cincinnati said Trump’s endorsement won’t be his primary consideration when selecting a Republican candidate in the Senate primary, as he will select the candidate he believes will do the most to support pro-life policies.
Theis said he liked Trump as president, but came to the rally because his wife is a big fan. He said some of the crude messaging around the rally – t-shirts and other memorabilia were for sale outside of the coliseum with lewd messaging about Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris – was inappropriate and not supported by the majority of attendees.
Theis said he is looking for candidates that also take a pro-life stance and who will ensure that people who are coming to the country from other places go through the proper channels.
The border is an issue Evan Bailey, 17, from Delaware is passionate about.
Even though he can’t vote in the upcoming election, he said he will support candidates in the future who want to closely regulate immigration from the southern border.
