HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY — President Donald Trump said the upcoming election is "the most important midterm in the history of the United States" at a rally in Northern Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Trump took the stage to cheers from thousands of people at Northern Kentucky University's Truist Arena,his second visit to the Cincinnati areain two weeks.
His wide-ranging speech touched on familiar Republican talking points with a few bizarre departures.
Here's what to know about the rally.
'Dumb-ocrats,' stolen election and other greatest hits
In between candidate endorsements and the push to get Republican voters to the ballot box, Trump sprinkled in some of his greatest hits over the years.
He bashed “Dumb-ocrats” across the country, noting that U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker is a “communist lunatic"and
referred to Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico as “Talafreako.”
He jabbed at former Democrat presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, whom he called "Barack Hussein Obama." Trump bragged about changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Lake Ontario to Lake America.
About immigrants, he said: “They were drug dealers. They came from mental institutions, and they had 11,888 murders,” he said. “Why would we let them into our country?”
There is no evidence to show that immigrants entering the United States are disproportionately drug dealers or from mental institutions. Publicly available data shows most people in the country illegally who end up in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody do not have criminal records.
Husted's backside came up again
Though he wasn't there, Trump praised Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who is running against Democrat Sherrod Brown in Ohio, across the Ohio River from Northern Kentucky. Trump called Husted a "respectable" and "good-looking guy."
He mentioned noticing Husted's physique when watching him speak at a rally and praised Husted's football career at the University of Dayton.
“I stood right over here, and I examined his ass. I never did that with a man before. I examined his ass, and then I looked at his shoulders. I looked at his feet. I looked at his hand. I looked at his jawline. Stunning," Trump said.
It's not the first time the president has vocally admired the senator's backside. Trump made similar comments at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Oct. 12.
Protesters removed during Trump's speech
Two protesters were removed from the arena during Trump's remarks. As the first protester was escorted out, the crowd booed.
"Take him back home to mom. Back to mom," Trump said.
Trump then said that protesters were paid $250 but didn't provide evidence.
Conroy attends after missing previous rally
Trump invited Eric Conroy on stage, a Republican running against Cincinnati Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman to represent Ohio's 1st Congressional District.
Conroy wasn't able to attend Trump's last nearby rally in Vandalia, Ohio, because of a family wedding the same night.
“I don’t know him very well, but I know one thing: His references are phenomenal," Trump said of Conroy.
Conroy thanked the president for visiting the Cincinnati area.
Trump slams vanquished US Rep. Thomas Massie
Trump’s visit to Northern Kentucky wouldn’t be complete without gloating about U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie’s defeat in the GOP primary this spring.
Massie, a 14-year incumbent, publicly butted heads with Trump about issues like the release of the Epstein files, U.S. spending in overseas military conflicts, federal spending and more.
Trump sought a Republican to oust Massie, endorsing Republican Ed Gallrein in a race that became the most expensive House primary in United States history. Gallrein beat Massie by 10 percentage points.
“There’s nobody as bad as Massie,” Trump said.
He went on to say that Massie had been an “obstruction to strong borders and taxes and common sense.”
Regional politics reporter Erin Glynn can be reached at eglynn@enquirer.com, @ee_glynn on X and @eringlynn on Bluesky.
Have a news tip? Comment? You can reach Northern Kentucky reporter Jolene Almendarez at jolenea@usatodayco.com or follow her on social media. Keep up with Northern Kentucky news at NKY.com or by downloading our NKY news app.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 5 takeaways from Trump's Northern Kentucky midterm rally
