Trump Holds Ohio Rally Amid Empty Seats, Protests, and Immigration Attacks

President Donald Trump held a campaign rally Monday night at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, primarily to support Republican Sen. Jon Husted in a competitive Senate race against Democrat Sherrod Brown. The event marked Trump's second visit to the state in a week as Republicans seek to maintain their Senate majority.

Before the rally, Trump posted on Truth Social that crowds were "already waiting in line" for the event. However, video footage and reports from the arena showed large sections of seating on the left and right of the press riser remained empty during his nearly 90-minute speech, drawing comparisons to his packed 2017 "thank you" tour at the same venue.

“My Rallies, legendary they have already become, have made a tremendous difference with the enthusiasm of the Republican Party.”

Outside the arena, the atmosphere was divided. Trump supporters and merchandise vendors lined one side of the street while protesters heckled attendees with chants referencing Jeffrey Epstein. One protester, Chris McBride, cited rising gas prices and the deportation of local business owners as motivations for demonstrating.

During his remarks, Trump focused heavily on immigration, repeating false claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets. He also attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar, calling her a "disaster" and criticizing her country of birth, hours after federal officers executed a search warrant at her Washington-area home. Trump insisted he was not involved in the search.

The rally was interrupted twice: once by a brawl between a protester wearing a "Release The Epstein Files" shirt and a rally-goer, and again by a young woman holding a Mexican flag. Trump is scheduled to campaign next in Alaska and Montana, states he won by double digits in 2024, as his team aims to boost base turnout in conservative areas.