Donald Trump says JD Vance is ‘kissing my ass’ for support in Ohio rally

Former President Donald Trump managed to draw more than 6,000 people to a rally in the industrial northeast Ohio city of Youngstown on Saturday evening — and ridiculed venture capitalist J.D. Vance, his choice in the state’s remarkably tight U.S. Senate race.

“J.D. is kissing my ass. Of course, he wants my support,” Trump announced to the crowd.

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“The entire MAGA movement is for J.D. Vance,” Trump added.

This year, Trump has meddled in dozens of Republican primaries throughout the country.

Many of his supporters, including Vance, went on to win their party’s nomination. Some Republicans in Washington, however, have doubted whether Trump’s picks, who frequently have massive appeal to his base, will be successful in November when they must compete for swing voters.

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“Candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome” of statewide elections, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in August.

Many election analysts believe Democrats will keep control of the Senate.

Trump said earlier this year that he supported Vance in part because he thought the “Hillbilly Elegy” author and Marine veteran had the best chance of winning.

“He’s a guy that said some bad s— about me. He did,” Trump told a Cleveland rally audience in April. “But I have to do what I have to do. We have to pick somebody that can win.”

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Some attendees at Saturday’s rally showed little compassion for Republicans who were not named Trump.

“I love Trump.” Patricia Delwiche, 65, of Missouri, who travelled nearly 12 hours to attend Saturday’s event, called him “the best president in my lifetime.”

Delwiche claims Trump should do more to drive out “Republicans in Name Only,” or RINOs.

“There are RINOs out there. They need to get out, like Kevin McCarthy and Lindsey Graham,” she said, making reference to the Bakersfield Republican who leads the House GOP and the long-serving South Carolina senator.

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Delwiche was among nearly 1,000 rallygoers who had gathered outside the venue since the early morning hours, listening to music from the arena’s outdoor speakers.