Will Saturday's Trump rally propel J.D. Vance to victory in Ohio?


Former President Donald Trump plans to hold a rally Saturday night in Delaware County, Ohio, in an attempt to propel Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance to victory in the state's May 3 Republican Senate primary, Fox News and The Hill report.
Trump endorsed Vance, who in 2016 expressed concern that Trump could become "America's Hitler," on Friday after Vance's opponents spent days imploring Trump not to intervene in the race, Politico reported.
A Trafalgar Group poll conducted before Trump endorsed the venture capitalist and memoirist showed Vance in second place, trailing former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel by five points. A poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday by a pro-Vance super PAC showed him leading Mandel 25-18.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ohio Senate primaries use a first-past-the-post system, meaning that whoever receives the most votes will advance to the general election without having to win a runoff. "There's no runoff here. And if you've got five candidates splitting up the vote, it becomes easier. And if this was part of Trump's calculation, it was a smart calculation," University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato told Fox News.
Since receiving Trump's endorsement, Vance's campaign has received an influx of cash, which it will likely need to spread the word in the less than two weeks before the primary. "Ideally, you would have had a month for this thing, but that's not the case," one Ohio GOP strategist told The Hill. "So, flood the zone."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
June 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's golden comb-over, brain drain in America, and a new TACO presidential seal.
-
5 cartoons about the TACO trade
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on America's tariffs, Vladimir Putin waiting for taco Tuesday, and a new presidential seal
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
What's next for Elon Musk?
Today's Big Question The world's richest man has become 'disillusioned' with politics – but returning to his tech empire presents its own challenges
-
Trump's super-charged pardon push raises eyebrows and concerns
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Never shy about using his pardon ability for political leverage, Trump's spate of amnesty announcements suggests the White House is taking things to a new level
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs