Trump returns to Ohio for third visit this month as Obama rallies in Georgia

President Donald Trump has held more than 20 rallies since the start of the month. He returned to Ohio on Wednesday for his third visit to the state in the past four weeks.

Trump focused his travel schedule on states he won by wide margins two years ago. He visited Mississippi on Monday and made multiple stops in Texas on Tuesday. He plans to visit South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, and Iowa in the coming days.

The president directed the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit last week. The suit pre-emptively contests the outcome of the Alaska Senate race. Trump warned Democratic challenger Mary Peltola she could face prosecution if she does not drop out of the race. He cited a report that her campaign tried to recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, the same name as Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Former President Barack Obama campaigned in Georgia at the same time. He appeared with former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Sen. Jon Ossoff. Bottoms is seeking to become the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. Ossoff is running for reelection and is considered a potential future presidential candidate.

Trump’s Ohio stop features a contested Republican ticket. Biotech executive Vivek Ramaswamy runs for governor against former state health director Amy Acton. Sen. Jon Husted runs to complete the term of Sen. JD Vance. Husted’s opponent is former Sen. Sherrod Brown.

A controversy emerged from an ad produced by Ramaswamy’s campaign. The ad featured Donna Arthur, Acton’s mother, calling her daughter a liar. Arthur said Acton needs help with a serious problem regarding her honesty about the past. Arthur has not seen her daughter since 1978. Trump backed the ad, while Husted distanced himself from it.

Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Kinston, North Carolina. He told a crowd at an airport rally that he wants young people to be able to afford a home. He said he does not want the government to be a nanny. Vance is campaigning in a state where Republicans are pessimistic about retaining a Senate seat.

Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, pulled out of the Ohio rally. A State Department official said Rubio was in Texas with Trump on Tuesday but changed his plans to travel to Ohio. Rubio’s schedule had not been formally released.

Trump spoke to reporters as he boarded Air Force One in Chillicothe. He called Peltola’s situation voter fraud at the highest level. He said the Democrats’ scheme to cheat is what they do best. Peltola’s campaign stated it has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.

Obama visited Michigan recently to criticize Trump. He pointed to White House renovations and Trump’s increased wealth while in office. Trump has intensified his rhetoric against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed told a crowd in Wyandotte that opponents are pointing to his name to distract voters.

Jason Turkish, who is engaged to Rep. Haley Stevens, said he believes El-Sayed is an antisemite. Stevens lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed and has endorsed her former rival. Turkish said he will back Republican opponent Mike Rogers.

Trump’s campaign includes a focus on record fuel prices and rising costs. He also referenced an unpopular war in Iran during his appearances. The president’s stops reflect a defensive posture for Republicans as they seek to maintain control of Congress.