Democrat Candidate For Ohio AG Says If Elected, He Will 'Kill Donald Trump'

A Democratic candidate for Ohio attorney general is facing intense backlash after declaring he intends to “kill Donald Trump,” a statement that immediately set off alarm bells before he attempted to reframe his remarks in legalistic terms.

Elliot Forhan, a former Ohio state representative now running for attorney general, made the comment while speaking publicly, leaving little room for misunderstanding in his initial wording.

“I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump,” Forhan said, acknowledging the shock value of the statement rather than retreating from it.

Only afterward did Forhan attempt to redefine his language, claiming he was speaking metaphorically and referring to a hypothetical criminal prosecution. He went on to say that by “kill,” he meant securing a conviction against the former president through a jury trial, followed by capital punishment carried out after due process.

“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,” Forhan said.

The clarification did little to calm critics, who argue that invoking the death of a former president, particularly in such blunt language, crosses a dangerous line. Conservatives quickly accused Forhan of normalizing violent rhetoric at a time when political tensions are already running high and threats against public officials have become increasingly common.

The comments also stand in sharp contrast to the way Democrats have responded to rhetoric from the right. For years, party leaders and legacy media outlets have warned that aggressive language aimed at politicians fuels extremism and puts lives at risk. Critics say Forhan’s remarks expose a glaring double standard when the target is Donald Trump.

Legal experts and political observers note that no former U.S. president has ever been sentenced to death and that the suggestion is, at best, fantastical and, at worst, reckless. Even setting aside the substance, they argue, an attorney general candidate casually invoking execution undermines public confidence in the justice system he is seeking to oversee.

As of now, Forhan has not issued an apology or walked back the phrasing itself, instead leaning on his explanation that the statement was meant as a description of legal accountability rather than a literal threat.