Lost amid the Trumpmania at Friday night’s “Make America Great Again” rally in Lebanon, Ohio, was a rousing speech by the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate — Congressman Jim Renacci.
Usually when a candidate gets up to speak during a Trump rally, it’s difficult for him or her to maintain the energy in the crowd for more than a few minutes. But in this case, Renacci was the exception. He spoke for close to 9 minutes and had the audience fully engaged the entire time. He was feisty. And he scored some direct hits on his opponent, the longtime incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
Watch below:
“I’m used to tough fights. I ran against an incumbent Democrat and everybody said, ‘You can’t win,’ and in November of 2010, I won…Two years later, I get thrown into another fight…and guess what – I won again. And guess why? Because of you!” Renacci told President Trump.
Trump seemed mystified as to how Brown, rated consistently as one the top two or three most liberal senators in the U.S., continues to get elected by voters in Ohio, which is currently represented by all-Republican majorities at the state level.
But Renacci, still polling well below Brown, believes Donald Trump’s help came at the right time and can thrust him over the top, especially if he does well in the upcoming debates.
The opportunity to speak at a rally with the president couldn’t have come at a better time for Renacci, just 48 hours before his first debate with Brown.
On Sunday, Oct. 14, the two will engage in the first of three debates leading up to the Nov. 6 election. The debate, at the Idea Center in Cleveland, starts at 6 p.m. EST.
Below are some more excerpts from his speech Friday night at the Trump rally.
“We need you to change Washington, and you haven’t let me down,” Renacci said of Trump. “This crowd loves you. Ohio loves you. And we love what you’re doing! You’ve got Ohio growing, unemployment is down, wages are up, the tax cut and jobs bill is working in Ohio, and you’ve gotten more conservative judges approved than any other president. You renegotiated NAFTA, helping Ohio businesses, ISIS is on the run, and you have given our coal miners here hope by reversing those devastating policies of the previous administration that had bankrupted that industry. Promises made, promises kept.
“And Mr. President, we are not tired of winning yet here in Ohio,” Renacci added. “And yet you have been able to do all this without the help of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, as we saw him voting against the tax bill, against the coal miners, against your justice nominations. And I am here to help, just like everyone here is here to help.”
Renacci pointed out that Brown votes 97 percent of the time with Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democrat from New York, and 94 percent of the time with Elizabeth Warren. He voted 100 percent of the time for Obama’s federal judges and he supported Hillary Clinton for president.
“And even though you are ripping up those trade agreements that aren’t working for Ohio, Sen. Brown had the gall to say just a couple of months ago that all the president has done is run his mouth and line his pockets,” Renacci said. “He voted like a Hollywood liberal, and he has received the most lobbyist dollars, more than any other senator. Look, it’s time we send Sherrod brown packing, and it’s time we send me to Washington, someone that’s willing to help this president.”
Renacci’s speech elicited chants of “Drain the Swamp!”
“In just 25 days we need to retire Sherrod Brown,” Renacci said. “We need a red wave, not only a red wave but I said this earlier, Mr. President, Ohio is going to deliver a red tsunami!”
Sherrod Brown “will never vote for us,” Trump said. Even if he likes a particular Trump policy, he will vote against it simply to obstruct.
Renacci’s campaign sent out an email Saturday encouraging supporters who can’t make the debate to view it live at the following link: debates.jimrenacci.com. Here, you can keep up with reactions on Renacci’s social media and watch the livestream as the Renacci team fact-checks Sherrod Brown throughout the night.
Below are the accounts of the Renacci team on Twitter:
@JimRenacci
@ohiogop
@leslieshedd
@bnmar13
@blainekelly15
@mandi_merritt
@JaneyMurph
Use these hashtags when tweeting about the debate:
#OHSen #OHSenDebate
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Anthony Accardi is a writer and reporter for The Ohio Star.
