An Ohio Democrat running to become the state’s top law enforcement officer sparked a furious backlash after releasing a campaign video in which he declared, “I am going to kill Donald Trump.” Elliot Forhan, a former state representative seeking the Democratic nomination for Ohio attorney general, then explained that he was talking about prosecuting the president and obtaining a death sentence. Forhan did not identify any crime that he believed would justify putting Trump to death. Republican officials responded by questioning whether he was fit to hold public office.
Forhan made the remarks in a roughly 40-second video posted on social media as part of his campaign for Ohio attorney general. The office serves as Ohio’s chief legal authority and oversees major law-enforcement litigation on behalf of the state. Rather than announcing a policy proposal or discussing plans to help Ohioans, Forhan used the video to describe a hypothetical prosecution of President Trump that would end with Trump’s execution.
“Hi, this is Elliot Forhan, candidate for Ohio Attorney General,” he began. “I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump.” Forhan then shifted into legal language, presenting the statement as his desired outcome from a future criminal prosecution rather than a veiled threat for an extrajudicial attack.
“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,” Forhan said, according to the video. He then completed the statement by describing a conviction “resulting in a sentence duly executed of capital punishment.” As ABC 33/40 reported, the candidate offered no explanation of which alleged offense would make Trump eligible for the death penalty.
“That is what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump,” Forhan concluded. His explanation made clear that he was describing an execution ordered after a hypothetical trial, but the clarification did little to quiet the reaction. The original declaration, combined with the fact that it came from a candidate seeking control of the Ohio attorney general’s office, quickly drew condemnation from Republicans in the state.
Ohio State Auditor Keith Faber, who was also seeking the attorney general’s office on the Republican ticket, released a video response condemning Forhan’s remarks. “That kind of vile comment makes it clear that Elliot Forhan is not qualified to be attorney general,” Faber said. He also called on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton to reject Forhan’s rhetoric, though the report said Acton had not publicly addressed the video at that time.
Watch Forhan’s threatening video here:
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Former Ohio state Rep. Jay Edwards, a Republican running for state treasurer, said the video followed an established pattern of inflammatory conduct from Forhan. Edwards pointed to a previous social media post in which Forhan wrote “F*** Charlie Kirk” shortly after Kirk’s assassination. He accused the attorney general candidate of repeatedly using violent or abusive rhetoric against political opponents and described the Trump video as especially disturbing because Forhan was seeking Ohio’s highest law-enforcement position.
Forhan previously served one term in the Ohio House of Representatives. In 2023, Democratic leaders stripped him of his committee assignments and restricted his access to an office following allegations of abusive behavior toward staff members and colleagues. The dispute became a major issue during the remainder of his legislative tenure and supplied additional ammunition to Republicans who argued that the latest video was not an isolated lapse in judgment.
Edwards said the candidate had taken the words “I am going to kill Donald Trump” and dressed them up with legal terminology concerning trials, convictions, and capital punishment. He described the video as a “deranged fantasy” from a politician campaigning to become Ohio’s top law-enforcement official.