A Democratic candidate for Ohio attorney general, Elliot Forhan, posted a Facebook message saying, “I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump,” and then tried to frame it as a promise to pursue conviction and capital punishment through the courts. The post ignited immediate conservative outrage, with commentators and Republican candidates demanding a disavowal and warning that this rhetoric normalizes political violence. Forhan has also faced scrutiny for prior social posts, and his later statements defended aggressive legal action against the former president while attacking his Republican opponents. The reaction highlights a deep divide over political speech and how far prosecutorial promises should go in a charged election season.
Elliot Forhan wrote directly, “I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump,” and followed that with a detailed legalistic explanation. He added, “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 was then capped with, “That is what I mean when I say I am going to kill Donald Trump.”
The post did not sit well with conservatives, who slammed the language as reckless and dangerous. “Absolutely psychopath, aka moderate Democrat,” conservative commentator Dave Rubin said, and conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok added, “Democrat candidate for Ohio AG who said he’s going to kiII President Trump also posted this when Charlie was ass*ssinated,” calling him “an evil deranged psycho.” These reactions point to a belief among many Republicans that this is not a metaphor but an escalation in tone that must be addressed immediately.
Another conservative voice weighed in bluntly, “People with TDS are a lot like drug addicts,” conservative commentator Robby Starbuck wrote, insisting that the pattern of impeachment talk and calls for jail have evolved into openly campaigning on killing a political rival. That framing pushed local GOP officials and candidates to demand clear condemnations from high-profile Democrats in Ohio and nationally. Calls for disavowal were loud and public, not private whispers.
“Democrats, your silence is telling,” Ohio Republican treasurer candidate Jay Edwards declared, labeling Forhan’s remarks “unhinged” and forcing party leaders to choose a response. The pressure included personal calls for leaders to speak out: “Dr. Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown—disavow this extremist now, or admit you’re okay with this violent hate in your party.” Republicans saw in the post a test of whether Democratic figures would reject violent rhetoric or tacitly accept it.
“That is normalizing political murder,” Ohio Republican attorney Mehek Cooke warned, and the charge resonated widely among conservative audiences who see a pattern of escalating threats. Ohio State Auditor Keith Faber, who is also running for attorney general, called the post “vile” and publicly urged prominent Democrats to condemn Forhan. His reaction included a direct social media call to action, drawing clear lines between acceptable political speech and threats that sound like promises.
Faber posted about the matter directly, writing, “I’m calling on @amyactonoh to renounce Democrat candidate AG Elliot Forhan’s VILE comment that he’s going to ‘kill Donald Trump.’ (months after celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination). Turn down the rhetoric.” That kind of language from an opponent framed the debate as not just rhetorical but electoral, with rivals using the post to question Forhan’s judgment and suitability for a law enforcement role.
Forhan did not retract the line about “killing” Trump. In a statement, he said he is running to “apply the law equally to everyone” including the president, and he insisted that his comments were a promise to pursue legal accountability. “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 said, framing the issue as protecting democratic institutions rather than personal vendetta.
https://x.com/RubinReport/status/2016260199447769310?s=20
Forhan then went on the offensive against his Republican opponents, accusing them of defending lawbreakers and lying to voters. He continued, “On the other hand, the views expressed by my Republican opponent in a recent op-ed are no more than those of a simple Trump thug. He does not believe in the truth or the rule of law. He asks Ohioans to disbelieve what they saw with their own eyes, that an ICE officer killed Renee Good without justification, shooting her twice in the face after he was clear of her vehicle. Keith Faber wrote, ‘In Minneapolis, ICE agents were doing their jobs.’”
“Was the ICE officer who shot Alex Pretti 10 times doing his job? No. ICE is not enforcing the law. They are breaking the law. Mr. Faber is telling Ohioans that, if elected, he will let Trump get away with murder. Ohio voters should take Mr. Faber at his word.”
