Trump kicks off revenge tour with rally in Ohio
Former US President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Ohio today as part of a revenge tour aimed at drumming up support, berating his enemies and cementing his influence over the Republican Party.
The rally will be Trump’s first since he incited his supporters to launch a deadly assault on the Capitol in January — an incident that led to five deaths and his impeachment.
While Trump has made speeches at Republican conventions since his election defeat to Joe Biden, the rally will be the first major event held for his supporters.
It will also mark the beginning of his efforts to hit out at fellow Republicans he considers to have undermined him.
He will campaign for former White House aide Max Miller, who has launched a primary challenge against Representative Anthony Gonzalez, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.
Trump has vowed to campaign against all 10 opponents. He will also endorse a challenger to Senator Lisa Murkowski, the only one of the seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict him.
It comes ahead of midterm elections in 2022, when the Democrats’ slim majorities in both chambers of Congress will come under pressure.
The Ohio event will be the first of three public appearances, with Trump also set to make a trip to the US-Mexico border later this month and hold a rally in Florida in July.
Trump still maintains influence over his party and has hinted at a possible run for reelection in 2024.
But this could be overshadowed by mounting legal threats. This week it emerged the Trump Organization could be facing criminal charges in New York linked to fringe benefits the company awarded to a top executive.