Thousands cheer Trump in Ohio

WELLINGTON — The cheers were deafening when former President Donald J. Trump took the stage Saturday night, and grew even louder when he thanked the thousands of fans who gathered at the Lorain County Fairgrounds who helped him win the state of Ohio. The 45th president wasted no time before firing off shots in the direction of President Joe Biden. The nation has become "very, very weak and very, very pathetic" under Biden in 2021, he said. On Trump's radar were "left-wing indoctrination" in schools, inflation, gas prices, the Paris Accord, gun control, teaching of critical race theory and calls to defund the police. "With your help, we're going to defeat the radical Democrats, and we have no choice," he told the throng in Wellington, asking voters to support Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections. "We will take back the House. We will take back the Senate," he said. "And we will take back America, and we will do it soon." Trump leaned heavily against Biden's immigration policies. No more dire threat exists today than mass crossings on the southern border of the United States, he said. Chief among his complaints was a work stoppage on the border wall, which was perhaps Trump's signature project. Democrats' "open-border fanaticism" is contributing to massive crime, Trump insisted — other countries are "emptying their prisons into the United States," he said before reciting a poem comparing undocumented immigrants to snakes. He characterized immigrants as "overrunning" the Mexico-U.S. border and putting drug cartels and human traffickers back in business. Vice President Kamala Harris only went to the border Friday at El Paso, Texas, because Trump announced his own plans to visit it next week, he said. Trump wasn't the only celebrity embraced by the crowd. Pillow salesman and Trump donor Mike Lindell got cheers wherever he went, throwing up his thumbs and posing for photos. An array of Republican speakers took the stage, from Lorain County Commissioners Michelle Hung and David Moore to Rep. Jim Jordan of Urbana, who represents portions of Lorain County. "Good afternoon, patriots, who's ready for Trump?" Hung belted out, delivering opening remarks. She stoked up the crowd, saying she and Moore ended "80 years of Democrat rule" in November by winning a Republican majority on the county commissioners. Moore welcomed his "fellow deplorables" to the fairgrounds to help Trump kick off the "Save America" tour. While Hung boasted hiring additional sheriff's deputies, improving the county's 911 center and passing a $2.8 million veterans budget for 2021, Moore worked to sell Lorain County as a place residents enjoy a low tax base, affordable housing, great schools and all the attractions Cleveland and the Lake Erie islands have to offer. "Ohio is Trump country," said a banner pulled through the sky above as the commissioners spoke. Hung said Trump helped turn Lorain County red in 2020 — it wasn't a very deep shade of red, though. Trump won with 79,520 votes to Biden's 75,667 here, a less than 1 percent edge. Moore said it's not all about Trump. Republicans want to win back offices at the local, state and national levels. "We need more patriots like all of you to run for office," he said. "Now is the time to take America back one city, one village, one township at a time at the ballot box." Nearly all speakers advanced the claim that Trump was cheated out of the election in a wide-reaching conspiracy — and attendees responded, stopping to chant "Trump won." Trump himself said the election was rigged. "We won the election in a landslide," he said, criticizing everything from absentee voting to ballot drop boxes, and saying vote tabulation data was altered. "We'll never stop fighting for the true results of this election," whether it's Democrats or opponents within his own party that stand in the way, Trump said. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia doubled down on the idea: "He's the greatest president this country has ever had, and should be our president right now. But the dirty, rotten Democrats stole the election," she said. Greene said she wants to impeach President Joe Biden, expel California Rep. Maxine Waters and fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has served as adviser to both Trump and Biden's administrations during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also attacked the Black Lives Matter movement, China, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and repeated the old threat that Democrats are trying to take away Americans' guns. "Don't forget — they hate you because you love President Trump," Greene said. Bigger cheers went up for Jordan, who sang Trump's praises. The former president cut taxes, reduced regulations, reduced unemployment and put conservatives on the Supreme Court, he said. "Everything he told us he would do, he did it," said Jordan, who called for a Trump 2024 presidential run. Also taking the stage was Max Miller, who is seeking election to Ohio's 16th Congressional District, which includes part of Medina County. Miller took aim at his Republican primary opponent, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez. The GOP incumbent has betrayed his constituents and is a Republican in name only, Miller said. After getting Trump's endorsement, he stood with the former president and announced his intention to put "Turncoat Tony" out of a job. Miller, who worked alongside Trump for five years, said the former president Trump loves Ohio, and fought for the Buckeye State. "President Trump delivered for America, and he delivered for us," he said. "That's what makes him so great." Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.