Trump’s going to a hastily organized appearance at the Ohio Republican Party State Dinner, having installed his own party chair in January. This visit occurs when the certification of the 12th Congressional District special election was announced today, Troy Balderson winning by .08%, 1,680 votes. However, “the top GOP official in the state — Gov. John Kasich — won't be there alongside him”.
More interesting will be whether at that dinner, Trump will even mention John McCain, considering his deliberate omission of McCain’s name in the ceremonies for the John S McCain National Defense Authorization Act. Always classy, the Donald. There’s always a golf day tomorrow.
Kasich, one of the party’s fiercest Trump critics, will not attend the dinner, spokesman Chris Schrimpf confirmed Wednesday. The governor said at a news conference earlier this week that he plans instead to take one of his twin daughters to college.
[...]
Just last week, Trump blamed Kasich in a tweet for the GOP’s narrow margin in a special election in a Columbus-area congressional district — calling the governor “very unpopular” and arguing that he tamped down enthusiasm for Republican Troy Balderson in the race. Kasich responded with an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin laughing.
www.washingtonpost.com/...
Close win in a red district.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The result is almost official in a deadlocked special congressional election in Ohio.
Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson, of Zanesville, led Democrat Danny O’Connor, the Franklin County recorder, ended the Aug. 7 election separated by less than a percentage point.
With thousands of votes outstanding and an automatic recount possible, The Associated Press didn’t call the race.
The elections board in Franklin County, the most populous county in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, is set to certify official results Friday. If Balderson and O’Connor land within half a percentage point of each other, a recount would go forward.
Saturday, Aug 25, 2018 · 3:30:41 AM +00:00
·
annieli
While acknowledging elected officials and candidates in the audience, President Donald Trump gave a shoutout to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan.
“Don’t ever wrestle him,” Trump said. “People don’t know this about Jim, he was one of the best wrestlers ever in college wrestling ... He lost one match in three years of college. Anyway, thank you.”
------------------------
President Trump did not bring up Sen. John McCain during his speech tonight in Ohio.
Trump has frequently referenced McCain’s healthcare vote on the campaign trail without naming the ailing Arizona senator.
-----------------—
President Trump attacked Richard Cordray, a Democrat who is running for governor in Ohio, and re-upped his Pocahontas nickname for Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
“He was groomed by Pocahontas,” Trump said.
The President continued, “He was groomed by Elizabeth Warren, his name is Cordray and he’s trouble ... a guy that is real trouble.”
------------------------
While discussing MS-13 and illegal immigration, President Trump invoked Iowan Mollie Tibbetts, a sign that her story will likely be a piece of his midterm campaign trail messaging.
“They charged an illegal alien in the murder of a college student Mollie Tibbetts — the amazing thing is that everybody was talking about Mollie, beautiful wonderful incredible person, everybody that met her loved her,” he said.
He appeared to accuse media of slowing down coverage of the story once it was reported her murderer was in the US illegally.
“When they found out that it was this horrible illegal immigrant that viciously killed her — they didn’t want to cover it the way that they should,” he said, adding, “Our hearts go out, we mourn for Mollie’s family.”
www.cnn.com/...