Trump Rallies Ohio Republicans, Defends Data Centers — SkimNews
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- Donald Trump rallied in Vandalia, Ohio, telling supporters Republicans will win 'big' and that Democrats 'do not know what is happening,' while stumping for Senator Jon Husted, gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and other GOP candidates.
- Jon Husted faces a competitive reelection fight against Democrat Sherrod Brown in a state where Trump won over 55% in 2024, but where his approval has since eroded amid higher prices and trade frictions.
- Ohio petrol prices climbed 35% over the past year to $4.16 per gallon on average, according to AAA, while Canadian retaliatory tariffs tied to Trump's trade policy affect roughly $3bn in Ohio exports.
- Husted told reporters the US must win the Iran war 'on our terms' and said he is 'fighting for lower prices,' tying his campaign to economic relief in a state bearing the cost of ongoing conflict.
- Trump extensively promoted AI data center development at the rally, praising Husted for an unsuccessful Senate push to charge large power users more, arguing the facilities will otherwise 'go to China.'
- Sherrod Brown attacked Husted on X, writing: 'Senator Jon Husted gave billions in tax breaks to Big Tech to make sure they would build their data centres in Ohio. Now, he's making Ohioans foot the bill.'
- Data centers have emerged as a bipartisan flashpoint in races nationwide, with voters raising concerns about electricity prices, farmland, and water supplies — an issue that has repeatedly put Husted on the defensive.
Why it matters: The Ohio Senate race is one of the cycle's most competitive, and Trump's visit signals Republican anxiety about turnout: Husted must defend a seat in a state Trump carried by double digits, now hit by 35% gas price hikes and $3bn in tariff-exposed exports. Brown's data center attack line gives Democrats a concrete pocketbook issue to weaponize in the final month before November 3.
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