Trump tells Ohio rally he may withhold federal help if Democrats win midterms

President Donald Trump told a crowd at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday, October 3, 2026, that he would be less inclined to send federal assistance to the state if Democrats win control in the midterm elections on November 3. Trump said he often receives calls from Republican officials asking for federal funds, and suggested that staying on good terms with his administration would make it easier for Ohio to secure such help, according to Reuters.

Referring to Ohio's Democratic candidate for governor, Amy Acton, Trump said, "But I'm not going to help her," Reuters reported.

Crude language draws cheers

Trump repeatedly used profanity during the speech. He told supporters that if Republicans won big, "we're going to shove it up their ass," a line that drew loud cheers from the crowd, according to Newsweek and Reuters. He also called Democrats "dumb son of a bitches," Reuters reported.

Despite the warning about withholding help, Trump also promoted what he called a "Trump Dividend," floating a $5,000 payment to citizens if Republicans retained control of Congress, while warning that a Democratic win would trigger an economic depression, according to Newsweek.

Who is on the ballot

The rally focused on two statewide races. Republican Senator Jon Husted is defending his seat against Democrat Sherrod Brown, a race Reuters described as one of eight competitive Senate contests nationally and the second-most expensive in the country, with outside groups spending tens of millions of dollars, according to Federal Election Commission filings cited by Reuters. Vivek Ramaswamy is the Republican candidate for governor, running against Democrat Amy Acton.

At the rally, Husted challenged Brown's five decades in elected office, asking the crowd, "He's been in office for 50 years — can you name one thing that he has done for you?" according to Reuters. Brown's campaign spokesperson Lauren Chou responded that "Jon Husted puts corporations and billionaires first every time, and we all pay for it," citing what she called "sweetheart tax deals" that attracted data centers to Ohio, according to Reuters.

Economic backdrop

Trump's visit came against a backdrop of economic strain in Ohio. Reuters reported that gasoline prices in the state rose 35% year-over-year to $4.16 per gallon, and that Canadian retaliatory tariffs tied to Trump's trade policy affect roughly $3 billion in Ohio exports. Al Jazeera reported that Trump's approval ratings have slipped amid economic pressures including rising prices.

Husted separately touted Ohio's unemployment rate of 3.3% in August 2026, which PolitiFact confirmed was the state's lowest since records began in 1976, surpassing the prior low of 3.4% set in May 2023.

Fact-checked claims at the rally

PolitiFact reviewed several claims made at the event. It rated as false Husted's assertion that Brown "gave them your Social Security money and free healthcare and COVID checks" to immigrants, finding Brown's actual votes concerned people who had since become legal residents, and noting federal law already bars undocumented immigrants from Medicaid and ACA subsidies.

PolitiFact also rated as misleading Trump's claim of "almost no inflation," since the year-over-year inflation rate stood at 3.4%, above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Newsweek separately reported that Trump claimed Springfield, Ohio, had taken in 35,000 migrants despite a population of 32,000 — a claim fact-checkers disputed, citing census data putting the city's population near 58,000, with an estimated Haitian community of 12,000 to 15,000.

Midterm stakes

The Ohio races are part of the broader November 3, 2026, midterm elections. Al Jazeera reported that polls suggest Democrats could gain ground, while Trump told the Vandalia crowd he believed there would be a "big surprise" in the results, saying Democrats did not know what was happening, according to Al Jazeera.