“Remarks I made earlier today at a rally in Middletown do not accurately reflect my views,” Lang said in a post on X. “I regret the divisive remarks I made in the excitement of the moment on stage.”
“Especially in light of the assassination attempt on President Trump last week, we should all be mindful of what is said at political events, myself included.”
My statement below on comments made earlier today: pic.twitter.com/44UziIPjSa
— State Senator George Lang (@LangForOhio) July 22, 2024
Lang fired up the crowd at the Vance rally with a chant of “Fight, fight, fight!” before making the controversial remarks.
“We are in the fight for the soul of our nation,” Lang told the crowd.
“We are in a fight for our kids and our grandkids, a fight that we can never imagine. I believe wholeheartedly Donald Trump and Butler County’s JD Vance are the last chance to save our country politically. I’m afraid if we lose this one it’s going to take a civil war to save the country, and it will be saved. It’s the greatest experiment in the history of mankind. And if we come down to a civil war, I’m glad we got people like … the Bikers for Trump in our side.”
Bikers for Trump is a group that had several representatives at the Middletown rally.
A spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is poised to be the Democratic nominee for president, released a statement saying Trump and Vance should denounce Lang’s comments “and apologize for platforming this kind of violence.”
“Donald Trump and JD Vance are running a campaign openly sowing hatred and promising revenge against their political opponents,” said the statement from Harris for President Campaign Spokesperson Ammar Moussa.
“It’s a feature, not a bug, of their campaign and message to the American people. That’s why a Republican official was empowered to predict a civil war while introducing these candidates.”
Tom Cooke, a Democrat from Oxford who is challenging Lang in the November election, said in a statement: “After recent calls for unity, I am appalled, but not shocked that George Lang would utter such vitriol and divisiveness, particularly in a town in his own district which ranks in the top 25% of the most violent U.S. cities.”
“Elected officials who are intent on dividing are negligent in governing. We all deserve better,” Cooke said.
Lang’s district includes Middletown, Hamilton and Oxford. He has been a longtime political figure in Butler County, previously serving in the Ohio House and as a West Chester Twp. trustee. Lang was also a delegate at the Republican National Convention last week.
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