State AG candidate threatens to 'kill' Trump

A Democratic candidate in the Ohio attorney general race is drawing fire for threatening that he will "kill Donald Trump." Elliot Forhan, of Cleveland, a former Democratic state representative voted out of office after controversies, recently posted videos on Bluesky and Facebook. After promising to kill Trump, Forhan clarified on his social media, "I mean I'm going to obtain a conviction rendered by a jury of his peers at a standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt based on evidence presented at a trial conducted in accordance with the requirements of due process, resulting in a sentence, duly executed, of capital punishment." Trump survived two assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign for president. The Democrats who condemned Forhan's statement included Dr. Amy Acton, a Democratic candidate for governor. "I strongly condemn this rhetoric. Ohioans have had enough of the chaos, hate and vitriol. Whether it's threats of political violence or actual political violence, they have no place in our politics," Acton said. Kathleen Clyde, chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, made it clear the party wants Democrats to back another candidate for attorney general, John Kulewicz, a Columbus attorney. Clyde said, "There's no place for political violence of any kind." Republicans also condemned Forhan. For example, Jay Edwards wrote on X.com, "As a proud MAGA Republican candidate for Ohio Treasurer, I'm outraged by Democrat Attorney General Candidate Elliot Forhan's unhinged video." Forhan has been campaigning for attorney general for months. He spoke at an Erie County Democratic Women meet-your-candidates event in Perkins Township in August. He also spoke this month at an event in Norwalk. Forhan, 40, has had a rocky political career. An attorney with a law degree from Yale, Forhan served one term in a safe Democratic in 2023 and 2024 but quickly ran into bipartisan headwinds. He was accused of showing up unannounced at the home of another Democratic state representative, Juanita Brent, and was accused of other bad behavior. Then-House Minority Leader Allison Russo, now a Democratic candidate for secretary of state, in late 2023 removed Forhan from his committee assignments, citing a "continued pattern of harassment, hostility, and intimidation of colleagues and staff." Also in 2023, Jason Stephens, who at the time was the Republican Ohio House speaker, suspended Forhan's badge access to the Ohio Statehouse and to Forhan's office. Forhan nonetheless sought re-election in 2024 but came in third in the Democratic primary. Forhan denied wrongdoing and has pursued lawsuits against his critics. Cleveland police found no evidence Forhan had committed a crime against Brent, and Brent's protective order against Forhan was overturned in court. Ohio's primary is May 5, providing Democratic officials plenty of time to rally support behind Kulewicz. It's not the first time a Democratic politician has come under fire recently for threats to harm political opponents. Jay Jones was elected as Virginia's attorney general last fall as part of a Democratic wave that also elected a new governor, Abigail Spanberger. Jones gained office despite the leak of text messages that talked about shooting a Virginia Republican politician in the head and suggesting that the politician's "fascist" children should be harmed. Jones did apologize, saying that he was "embarrassed, ashamed and sorry."