Ohio Democratic attorney general candidate faces backlash for post about killing Trump

The post contained a video, in which Forhan tells the camera: “I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump. I mean I am 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. That is what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump.”

On Wednesday, Forhan provided a statement to the Dayton Daily News further explaining his statement.

“I am running for Ohio attorney general to apply the law equally to everyone, including the rich and the powerful. Including the U.S. president. If Donald Trump tries again to end American democracy, then as Ohio attorney general I will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he wrote. “That is the approach that any good Democratic candidate should take. There is nothing shameful about that.”

Forhan’s social media comments have been condemned by politicians on both sides of the political aisle, including Forhan’s competition to to replace outgoing Republican Attorney General Dave Yost in the November 2026 election.

Democratic AG candidate and Columbus-based lawyer John Kulewicz skewered Forhan’s comments in a Tuesday social media post.

“The comments today from my potential primary opponent are disgraceful,“ wrote Kulewicz, who will face Forhan in the May primary. ”The AG is the chief law officer of our state, a serious responsibility, not a political game. The AG must take the law and judicial process seriously.”

The Republican front-runner, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, posted on social media with a call to “turn down the rhetoric.”

“My Democrat opponent for attorney general just came out and said he wanted to kill President Trump,” Faber said in an attached video. “That kind of vile comment makes it clear that Elliot Forhan is not qualified to be attorney general.”

The video was preceded on Forhan’s social media pages by posts critical of Trump’s immigration crackdown, particularly the incidents in which federal immigration officers shot and killed Minnesotans Renee Good and Alex Pretti. In one post, Forhan criticized Faber for writing an op-ed that argued the political left has incorrectly portrayed Good as innocent — a sentiment that Forhan expressed frustration with in his Wednesday statement to this news outlet.

On Wednesday, Ohio Democratic Party chair Kathleen Clyde provided a comment that distanced the party from Forhan, and took a swing at Faber.

“We’ve seen a lot of shameful comments from candidates in both parties running for AG over the last few days, luckily John Kulewicz would be a principled and strong AG who would take the law seriously and fight to keep Ohioans safe,” Clyde wrote.

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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.