Ever.
So when Elliott Forhan, a Democrat seeking his party’s nomination for Ohio Attorney General, said he would “kill Donald Trump,” that immediately disqualified him from running for an office that upholds the law for all Ohioans.
It’s why he needs to drop out of the race.
Looking straight into the camera, Forhan said, “I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump. 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. That is what I mean when I say I’m going to kill Donald Trump.”
The “kill Donald Trump” line has gotten the most attention, but it’s the phrase, “duly executed of capital punishment,” is the one that jumped out at me.
He wants Trump put to death because .... he doesn’t say.
In a statement to this newspaper, Forhan didn’t express contrition, but instead doubled down. He said he would prosecute Trump if he tried to end American democracy. Forhan, a lawyer, also told the Ohio Capital Journal his comments are protected political speech, though U.S. Code Title 18 may differ.
If a novice candidate said something so blatantly insensitive, I might think inexperience had something to do with the rhetoric. But Forhan should know better since he served two years in the Ohio House.
Look at it this way. If a Republican said the same about a Democrat, the left would be apoplectic, saying such statements are dog whistles calling for death.
Liberals will ask, “What about Trump’s comments?” But that line of thinking is no more than a case of misdirection that seeks to put someone else’s bad behavior in the spotlight. Trump’s often-harsh words don’t excuse Forhan’s conduct. That’s like a child saying, “Well, he stole the candy, too.”
We did get the standard denunciations, even from the Ohio Democratic Party, which said, “There’s no place for political violence of any kind.”
That’s not good enough.
As long as political parties don’t take firm action, this sort of unacceptable candidate behavior will continue, and people will die.
That’s not hyperbole.
Threats and attacks on judges and state and local lawmakers are on the rise. In 2023, the last full year statistics were available, the U.S. Capitol Police investigated more than 8,000 threats. In 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service investigated more than 800 threats to federal and district judges. Various politicians told Vanity Fair the potential threat influences how they vote.
Then, there’s the human cost. Assassins tried to kill Trump twice. Charlie Kirk was murdered because of what he believed. Minnesota lawmakers Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband Mark Hortman were killed for their political beliefs, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sadly, there are far more examples of what can happen when people hear malicious words and decide to take horrific action.
So, no, coming up with a lame explanation of why it’s OK to “kill” a president and be “executed of capital punishment is reckless.
This is where the Ohio Democratic Party can show leadership, and more importantly, spine. If Forhan refuses to go on his own, the party should announce that it will withdraw all assistance and support for his campaign.
That will send a powerful message. Words can only go so far, and “There’s no place for political violence” is as weak as “I apologize to those who may have been offended.”
Take a stand against words that can foster political violence. Take a stand against a member of your own party.
Take a stand when no one else will.
Ray Marcano’s column appears on these pages each Sunday.
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