Politics

Trump brings his midterm closing push to Chillicothe, his third Ohio stop this month

Chillicothe, Ohio • October 28, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

Downtown Chillicothe, Ohio, with historic storefronts along a main street

Real photo — Family Destinations Guide

President Donald Trump is in Chillicothe on Wednesday evening for a midterm rally at Ohio University's Shoemaker Center, his third visit to Ohio in October as Republicans make their closing push in two major statewide races.

Doors opened at 3:30 p.m., the program began at 5:30 p.m., and Trump is scheduled to speak at about 7 p.m., according to the event listing and local coverage. The rally is in support of Sen. Jon Husted, who is seeking a full term after being appointed to the seat Vice President JD Vance vacated, and gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, along with other Ohio Republican candidates. The Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions around Rickenbacker International Airport near Columbus from 3:30 to 11:15 p.m. and over Chillicothe from 4:30 to 7 p.m. for the presidential visit, and the city closed the City Park Annex, Kopp Street and a stretch of the Paint Creek trail from noon to 9 p.m.

Trump has already campaigned in Vandalia near Dayton and in Youngstown this month, plus just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in northern Kentucky, while Vance has made stops in the Cincinnati area and Lima. The frequent Ohio visits underscore how competitive the state has become: forecasters recently moved the governor's race from toss-up to leaning Democrat amid backlash over Ramaswamy's ad featuring his opponent Amy Acton's estranged mother, and polling suggests Acton may hold a slight lead.

Trump is campaigning in Ross County, which he won three times, including by 39 percentage points in 2024. Chillicothe has faced hardships in recent years: in August 2025, the Pixelle Specialty Solutions paper mill closed and hundreds lost their jobs. Since then, the plant has transitioned to making nitrile gloves, a data center company is leasing some of the land, and U.S. Paper Mill is bringing back some paper production employees, the Dispatch reported.

Sources: The Columbus Dispatch (Oct 28, 2026); Scioto Post (Oct 28, 2026).