Trump Holds Kentucky Rally at 2 p.m. as Approval Rating Falls to Record Low
President Donald Trump holds a rally Saturday at Northern Kentucky University's Truist Arena in Highland Heights, his second visit to the Cincinnati area this month, as his approval rating has fallen to a record low of 36%.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — President Donald Trump holds a rally at 2 p.m. Saturday at Truist Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University, returning to the Cincinnati area for the second time this month as his approval rating has fallen to a record low of 36%, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Supporters were flowing toward the arena hours before doors opened, filling the parking lot while a lone protester stood outside at 8:30 a.m. with a sign reading “Liar, liar. Pants on fire.” The rally comes weeks before the midterm elections, with Trump barnstorming the country for fellow Republicans. He also held a rally at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio, on Oct. 3.
Who is attending, and the races at stake
Expected at the arena are U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, and Ed Gallrein, the Republican nominee in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. Barr will face Democratic nominee Charles Booker and is considered a strong favorite. Dr. Ralph Alvarado, the Republican nominee in Kentucky’s 6th District, will not attend; his campaign said he has events scheduled in Montgomery County.
The 6th District race has grown tighter. Alvarado faces Democrat Zach Dembo, a former federal prosecutor running with Gov. Andy Beshear’s backing. Both the Cook Political Report and the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics rate the race “Leans Republican,” a step back from the stronger outlook for the Republican earlier in the summer.
Kentucky itself is not considered a battleground state. The House district hosting the rally is rated “solid Republican” by the Cook Political Report. The Courier Journal reported that possible reasons for the visit include energizing a discouraged GOP base, celebrating the ouster of Rep. Thomas Massie, and needling Beshear, a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2028. Trump also has Ohio in view: Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy faces Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, and Republican Sen. Jon Husted faces Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown.
Protests, traffic and cold weather
The visit has drawn protests. On Friday, NKU students demonstrated against the rally, telling the student newspaper, The Northerner, that the school gave no advance notice. University officials said Trump allies, not the university, organized the visit. Junior Kendall Guy told the newspaper she felt “scared for some of my friends,” calling the rally an invitation that many students did not endorse. Saturday’s visit also coincides with another nationwide “No Kings” day of action, with dozens of events planned across Florida, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Travel will be difficult. Southbound Interstate 75 is closed through downtown Cincinnati from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for bridge construction, and the president’s motorcade is expected to bring additional closures on I-275 and I-471 in Kentucky, according to the Enquirer. NKU has closed several parking lots and garages, and University Drive on campus is shut from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Attendees should dress for cold: the National Weather Service forecast calls for no rain, with a high near 54 degrees and a low around 31.
Reporting based on coverage by the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Louisville Courier Journal.
