In Vandalia, Ohio, the Republican Senate primary race was already filled with tension and harsh exchanges. It was heading towards a closely contested and acrimonious conclusion.
Then, Donald Trump arrived in the city.
The former president landed for a rally on Saturday afternoon to support Bernie Moreno. Despite receiving Trump’s endorsement three months earlier, Moreno hadn’t managed to significantly pull ahead of his Republican competitors.
During the rally, Trump launched a vigorous attack, rallying the crowd against state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians. Dolan’s rise as Moreno’s main rival was highlighted last week with endorsements from Gov. Mike DeWine and former Sen. Rob Portman. This situation underscored a clear divide: MAGA supporters versus the traditional conservative establishment of Ohio, which seems moderate in comparison to Trump’s brand of politics.
In his speech, which lasted about 90 minutes at the Dayton International Airport, Trump praised Moreno as a “fantastic guy” and criticized Dolan as a “RINO” — a Republican in name only.
“Bernie is competing against a weak RINO named Matt Dolan. He wants to be the next Mitt Romney,” Trump declared, referencing the senator from Utah who was the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and is now a vocal critic of Trump. “I believe Mitt Romney is his idol.”
Trump reminded the audience that Dolan had once run as a Democrat for a state legislative seat over 30 years ago. He also expressed his displeasure over the Dolan family’s Major League Baseball team changing its name from the Indians to the Guardians in 2021, a move made in response to concerns that the former name was offensive to Native Americans.
“He’s easily influenced by woke, left-wing extremists who renamed his family’s baseball team,” Trump stated, seeking the crowd’s opinion on the name change and receiving strong support for the original name. “In my view, anyone who changes the name from the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians shouldn’t be a senator.”
Although Dolan has been involved with the team, he stated that he played no part in the decision to change the team’s name.
Trump did not mention the third candidate in the GOP primary, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
Moreno, a newcomer to politics and a former car dealer, is hoping Trump’s backing will propel him into a general election battle against Sen. Sherrod Brown, one of the Democrats most at risk this fall. Trump’s appearance, happening just three days before the primary and less than two weeks after it was deemed “highly unlikely” by a source close to the former president, felt like a last-minute effort to seal the deal.
The outcome of Tuesday’s primary could significantly impact Trump’s influence in Ohio, a state he won by 8-point margins twice. A win for Moreno would allow Trump to claim success in elevating a political newcomer. However, a loss would raise questions about the potency of his endorsement in competitive races, particularly as this is the first contentious 2024 Senate primary where he has chosen a side.
Recent polls have shown a close race between Moreno and Dolan, with the campaign’s hostile tone intensifying last Friday. This was after The Associated Press reported on a potential connection between a Moreno email address and an account on Adult Friend Finder, a website known for facilitating sexual encounters.
The AP could not confirm Moreno’s personal involvement in creating the account. A letter from Moreno’s attorney, which was also provided to NBC News, included an apology from a former intern, Dan Ricci, who claimed he created the account as a “prank.”
NBC News has not independently verified the report, and Ricci did not respond to a request for comment.
“The email address in question wasn’t Bernie’s personal one but was listed on company websites and materials and managed by staff,” stated Moreno’s attorney, Charles Harder. “Several people, including this intern, had access to it. Bernie Moreno had no connection to the AFF account. According to metadata, the AFF account wasn’t used — no messages or contacts were sent or received, and no content was uploaded. The account existed for less than half a day, 16 years ago.”
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, defended Moreno, calling the AP report “shameful.” Andrew Cornu, the founder of Adult Friend Finder, stated on X that his review found the situation to be “consistent with a prank or someone merely exploring the site.”
The revelation of the account, which the AP reported was created to attract “young guys” and had been the subject of rumors among GOP operatives for weeks, provided Moreno’s rivals with a late opportunity to argue that his nomination would guarantee Brown’s reelection.
A new advertisement released Friday by the Dolan-aligned Buckeye Leadership Fund highlighted the most sensational aspects of the AP report. The 30-second spot was part of the PAC’s existing advertising plan and was scheduled to air statewide on TV and radio, according to spokesperson Chris Pack.
“Creepy, huh? Moreno is damaged goods,” the ad’s narrator says, referencing a Democratic strategy to influence the primary by promoting Moreno’s conservative stances. “That’s why Democrats are spending millions to support Moreno in the Republican primary, so Sherrod Brown can defeat him in November.”
Dolan avoided discussing the AP report before a GOP dinner in Salem, south of Youngstown, on Friday, stating he was unaware of the super PAC’s advertisement. LaRose, speaking to reporters after the dinner, was more willing to comment on the issue.
“From the start, I’ve doubted Mr. Moreno’s trustworthiness,” he said. “I won’t say much more, other than, obviously, if it’s true, it’s terrible for his family, and they are in our prayers.”
A source close to Moreno’s campaign mentioned that at least 10 TV stations had declined to air the Buckeye Leadership Fund ad following cease-and-desist notices from Moreno’s legal team. Bridget Moreno, the candidate’s wife, released a statement on Saturday urging Dolan to denounce the advertisement. A spokesperson for Dolan did not respond to requests for comment.
Trump briefly mentioned the situation on Saturday.
“They’re targeting him,” Trump said, dismissing the article as “disinformation and misinformation.”
With $10 million in personal loans and additional support from friendly super PACs, Dolan has conducted an assertive advertising campaign to highlight his policy positions and criticize his opponents. A lawyer whose family became wealthy through the cable television industry before purchasing Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team, Dolan hasn’t distanced himself from Trump but hasn’t closely aligned with him either, acknowledging their different personalities. This stance has made him vulnerable to “RINO” attacks.
Although he didn’t directly name Dolan at Saturday’s rally, Moreno pointed out in his speech how his opponent didn’t believe the debate over U.S. border security should detract from support for Ukraine and mocked him for receiving an endorsement from The Plain Dealer, a Cleveland newspaper.
“You’re going to vote on Tuesday and send a clear message to the swamp RINOs that their time is up,” Moreno told the crowd.
LaRose, who entered the race with significant name recognition from two statewide election victories, has found it challenging to compete financially with the independently wealthy Dolan and Moreno. The secretary of state has largely depended on an allied super PAC for promotion, but that group, Leadership for Ohio, has recently focused its resources on attacking the other candidates. In the final days, Moreno and Dolan have concentrated their attacks on each other, largely ignoring LaRose.
“I wish I had more resources to spread my message,” LaRose said after the dinner in Salem on Friday. “But Ohioans can spot nonsense when they hear it.”
Throughout the week, voters and activists at GOP events across Ohio described the race as primarily between Moreno and Dolan.
“This is a critical moment for the state of Ohio,” said Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, a Moreno supporter, at a Lake County Republican Party dinner in Eastlake, near Cleveland. “We have to decide whether we’ll remain traditional, old-school Republicans or transform ourselves. I’m seeking that change in Washington, and Bernie Moreno is the one to bring it.”
Amy Sabath, a GOP operative who has worked with DeWine and Dolan and attended the same dinner, explained her preference for Dolan.
“The ultraconservative vote will likely be split between Moreno and LaRose,” Sabath said. “But I’m hopeful there’s a path for Dolan to emerge with support from the more, let’s say, ‘moderate Republicans.’ I’ve always considered myself an ultraconservative Republican, but I believe in choosing the right candidate, and that candidate is Dolan.”
Dolan’s challenge — to unite a coalition of GOP voters ready to move beyond Trump — was evident this week as he sought to win over voters in Aurora, a suburb near Cleveland.
“Until Trump is gone, I’ll never vote Republican again,” Reed Fuller told Dolan after the candidate visited his home on Tuesday. “Sorry.”
Aurora Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin, who was with Dolan, tried to reassure him.
“Well, he’s not aligned with Trump,” she said.
“I understand that,” Fuller replied. “I’m sorry. If I had to choose among the three, I’d support you.”