FORT MYERS, Fla. — President Donald Trump was scheduled to hold a campaign rally Friday afternoon at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University, continuing his nationwide midterm travel following days of intense fallout over a disputed Republican campaign advertisement in Ohio.
The event, set for 2 p.m. in Lee County, comes as Trump campaigns on behalf of Florida Representative Byron Donalds, NBC News reported. In preparation for the presidential appearance, university officials instructed students and staff to relocate vehicles and urged some employees to work remotely, according to Gulf Coast News. The Federal Aviation Administration placed flight restrictions across a 10-nautical-mile radius around Southwest Florida International Airport from 12:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., while local law enforcement increased security patrols around the campus arena.
Furor over Ohio gubernatorial ad
The Florida stop follows Trump’s public defense on Thursday of an advertisement released by Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor of Ohio. The commercial featured the estranged mother of his Democratic rival, former state health director Amy Acton, calling Acton “a liar” and disputing Acton’s descriptions of her childhood.
Acton responded in a statement posted Tuesday on Facebook, writing that she and her brother suffered severe childhood abuse and neglect in Youngstown, including spending a winter living in a tent. Acton said she had not seen her mother since 1978, when at age 12 she testified in court against her stepfather, who was indicted on rape charges before fleeing the state. Acton condemned Ramaswamy for exploiting her mother for political gain.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., strongly denounced the ad on social media Thursday, labeling Ramaswamy a “malignant clown” and urging Republicans to pull their endorsements and back Acton, Fox News reported. Ramaswamy’s campaign did not immediately answer inquiries seeking comment.
Trump nevertheless praised the spot Thursday on Truth Social, commending the mother’s appearance and saying she showed courage in attempting to persuade voters against Acton. Trump added that news media criticism of the commercial was unfounded.
Midterm battles and legal fights
Trump’s campaign tour unfolds against a contentious midterm landscape that includes high-profile candidate match-ups and numerous direct ballot questions. Across 39 states, voters will decide 145 statewide initiatives next month, according to The Guardian. The measures range from a proposed wealth tax on California billionaires to abortion rights protections in Idaho, Nevada and Virginia, alongside property tax policies and restrictions regarding transgender athletes and minors.
The administration also faces pending litigation in Washington, D.C., where preservationists and veterans organizations are seeking a preliminary injunction to halt construction of a proposed triumphal arch, NBC News reported. In court documents filed this week, attorney Wendy Liu argued the project lacks required congressional approval under federal statutes governing public grounds and commemorative works. The plaintiffs asked a federal judge to rule by Nov. 4, just before the National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on final design clearances and ahead of the administration’s target date to start construction.
