Donald Trump made a quick stop in Columbus, Ohio on Super Tuesday, looking ahead to the March 15 swing state. Hours before the scheduled rally, hundreds of supporters were gathered at the Port Columbus International Airport while hundreds more waited outside in hopes of gaining entrance. Trump arrived with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in tow. Governor Christie fired up the crowd, saying: “America needs strength in the Oval Office. Donald J. Trump will help make America great again.”
After slamming “little” Marco Rubio and “lying” Ted Cruz, Trump hit his usual talking points. He talked about building a wall on the Mexican border and criticized the media calling them “dishonest” and “disgusting people.” Trump also reiterated his familiar declaration that he will be “the greatest jobs president God ever created,” and told the crowd that, under a Trump presidency, “you’re going to win so much!”
Trump entered Super Tuesday with a commanding lead in most polls. In Politico’s GOP Super Tuesday map breakdown, he appears to hold a significant lead in almost every state other than Texas. However, even if Trump wins every Super Tuesday state, there will still be a small window of opportunity for another candidate to take him down, so this stop in Ohio is part of the Trump campaign’s forward-thinking approach.
Ohio is a crucial, winner-take-all state which may be tough for Trump to take, given the popularity of Governor John Kasich. The Ohio Republican Party formally endorsed Governor Kasich in January, and many of the state’s top Republicans have been critical of the New York businessman. Before Trump’s rally in Columbus, several Republican leaders in Ohio, including Auditor of State Dave Yost, who previously announced that he would not support Trump even if he becomes the party’s nominee, gathered for a press call questioning Trump’s divisive rhetoric. Even so, judging by the crowd’s intensity, Trump fever is alive and well in the Buckeye State.
