Sherrod Brown, a Democratic Senate candidate in Ohio and a former U.S. Senator, has backed Elliot Forhan, a candidate for Ohio Attorney General, who recently drew national backlash after declaring he was “going to kill Donald Trump,” a remark he later claimed referred to prosecuting the former president and seeking the death penalty.
“I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump,” Forhan said. “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.”
BREAKING: Elliot Forhan, Democrat Candidate for Ohio Attorney General, says he’s going to kiII President Trump through capital punishment
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 27, 2026
🚨🚨🚨 @secretservice @fbi pic.twitter.com/Suofbyme9i
Brown once claimed to “speak out against” divisive rhetoric, and yet, rather than condemn his fellow party member, he has allowed Forhan to run several fundraisers for him, as he lauded the Senate candidate as "the best damn senator in the land.” That same day, Brown received almost $19,000 in contributions from Ohioans.
New — My dive into the crucial Ohio Senate race.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 4, 2024
— Sherrod Brown, eager to avoid nationalizing race in red Ohio, not planning to campaign with Harris, go to DNC, or defend her record on the border.
Instead, his camp has spent more than 25 times the amount as Moreno has on air… pic.twitter.com/BOzDeZpikU
As for Brown’s own rhetoric, he is no stranger to inflammatory attacks against President Trump and his supporters. He has described the rise of MAGA in his home state of Ohio as a “troubling time” and once said of Trump’s voters, “I understand that they are supporting a racist for president, but it works for them.”
This comes as Democratic candidates across the country head into the midterms staking their campaigns largely on opposition to President Trump. That dynamic has elevated California Gov. Gavin Newsom to early frontrunner status for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination. His appeal is framed less around California’s disastrous record under his leadership and more around his aggressive posture against nearly every move made by President Trump.