Donald Trump brought his signature intensity to an Ohio campaign rally, urging supporters to help Republicans defeat Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.

On Saturday, the President was campaigning for Republican Senator Jon Husted, who is seeking reelection, and former DOGE co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy, who is running for governor.

With Democrats widely expected to compete strongly for control of the House and possibly the Senate, Trump energized the crowd at Butler High School in Vandalia, near Dayton, by predicting a major Republican victory.

“You gotta get out and vote, and if you do, we’re gonna win big and we’re gonna shove it up their a**,” Trump told the cheering audience.

He also attacked Democrats with an insult referring to them as “dumb sons of b****es” and revived his recently coined nickname, “Dumbocrats.”

Trump then turned his attention to CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, a familiar target in his public criticism and frequent clashes with the news network.

“She’s such an unhappy person,” Trump said of Collins. “Young, nice person, but she never smiles. She’s a very unhappy person.”

Ramaswamy and Husted joined Trump at the event, while Super Bowl-winning NFL coach Jon Gruden also delivered a spirited speech to rally the crowd.

After Gruden finished speaking, Trump praised him in front of the enthusiastic audience, calling him “one of my favorite coaches in the whole world.”

Trump and Gruden have previously spent time together, including at least one round of golf in 2025.

“He’s a great coach and he’s a very good golfer too,” Trump said. “Right, Jon? We had a great time. He’s a great winner. He’s a winner.”

The crowd responded warmly to Trump’s remarks, which followed Gruden’s energetic address about his Ohio roots.

“I came back for one reason,” Gruden told the audience. “I’m from Ohio. My mom and dad are from Cleveland. I was born in Sandusky and I went to the University of Dayton, and I’m damn proud of it, man!”

Supporters at Vandalia’s Butler High School answered Gruden with loud cheers and applause.

Trump says he is beginning a 32-day campaign blitz ahead of the November 3 elections. His schedule includes stops this week in the deep-red states of Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama, followed by a visit to Ohio, a key battleground with one of the cycle’s most closely watched Senate races.

Husted was appointed to the Senate seat left vacant when JD Vance became vice president and is now campaigning to secure the position through election.

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There is likely no path to a Senate majority for Democrats without flipping Ohio, where former three-term Senator Sherrod Brown is trying to return to the Senate after losing to Republican Bernie Moreno two years ago.

Since last year, Democrats have listed Ohio, along with states such as North Carolina and Maine, as key races to win control of the Senate. 

And this past week, the head of the Senate GOP´s campaign arm said Ohio is among 10 battleground races that are ‘within striking distance.’

At his rallies, Trump has been trying to convince voters that the economy is better than they feel it is, even though polls show Americans are frustrated with the way he’s handled it. 

The high cost of living, including gas prices elevated by Trump’s war on Iran, is a top issue in the Dayton area, too. 

And just days before Trump’s rally, nearly 1,400 people were laid off from a truck factory in nearby Springfield.

‘Your state is booming. Every – I hate to say it – every state is booming,’ Trump insisted Saturday. ‘They’re all booming.’

Trump’s rally comes as Republicans worry that Husted’s campaign has failed to adequately catch fire with voters in the Republican-dominated state. 

Brown and allied groups have hammered Husted for his data-centers role, and the NRSC has pinpointed it as a political vulnerability.

Meanwhile, in the governor’s race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy faces Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, the state’s former Covid-era health director.

A wealthy biotech entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate, Ramaswamy’s star appeal among conservatives led to quick backing by Ohio Republicans and hopes of an easy victory in the Republican-dominated state. 

However, despite a massive fundraising lead and more than $12 million spent in campaign advertising, he is now locked in a close fight with Acton with weeks to go until Election Day.

‘I’m so grateful to this state and to this country for giving a kid like me opportunities that would not have been available to my family in any other country on planet earth,’ Ramaswamy said at the rally ahead of Trump’s arrival, as he underscored the American dream for his Indian immigrant family.

The 18-year-old driver accused of crashing a gold BMW into Newcastle Knights supporters, injuring 10 people, has appeared in court and will remain behind bars until next week.

NSW Police allege Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe was behind the wheel of the red P-plated luxury vehicle, which carried the personalised number plates “INDIKA”, when it struck the crowd. A five-year-old girl suffered critical injuries.

Handcuffed and wearing a Dove’s Home Cooked Food T-shirt, the teenager did not seek bail. It was formally refused during a brief hearing conducted from Newcastle Police Station.

His lawyers also asked the judge whether a warrant could be issued so Samarasinghe could undergo a health assessment in custody. The court heard the examination would likely include a review of his “mental health”.

Samarasinghe was discharged from hospital on Saturday and taken to Newcastle police station, where he was charged with nine offences and had his licence suspended.

Earlier, court records revealed that his licence had already been suspended in February.

He challenged the suspension in April but lost the appeal, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Police have charged Samarasinghe with three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, three counts of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and three counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct in charge of a motor vehicle.

Prosecutors told the bail court on Sunday that the first charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

While he remained in custody, angry members of the public posted messages on Samarasinghe’s TikTok account condemning the alleged incident.

Friends or supporters responded to the criticism, arguing that people were “acting like he meant it … he was doing a burnout while 100s of people stood on the side of the road”.

The crash happened on Saturday morning as Knights supporters gathered to wave off the team bus before the NRL Grand Final in Newcastle, north of Sydney. Police allege the vehicle struck people in the crowd.

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Emergency crews were called to the Newcastle Link Road roundabout on Transfield Avenue at about 9.30am after reports that a vehicle had hit people on the pavement following alleged erratic driving.

Samarasinghe was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital for mandatory testing. Of the 10 people injured, the five-year-old girl remains in a critical but stable condition in an induced coma.

Newcastle mayor Gavin Morris said on Instagram that “our thoughts remain with those who were hurt or injured in yesterday’s incident”, while specifically expressing concern for “our little girl”.

“She’s had a very tough time, she is now in a stable condition,” he said. “Our thoughts are with her, and her mother is still in hospital as well.”

Ashleigh Gibbs, who is understood to be a relative of the child, has launched a GoFundMe to help support the child, along with her mother who was also injured in the crash.

‘A beautiful five-year-old child is currently in an induced coma after suffering serious injuries and has already required multiple operations,’ she wrote.

‘Their mum was also seriously injured and will require multiple operations and a long period of recovery.

‘Both mum and child now have a long road ahead of them, with ongoing surgeries, hospital stays, rehabilitation and recovery.

‘Sadly, because of the severity of their injuries, mum will not be able to work for some time, placing enormous financial pressure on the family while they focus on healing and being there for each other.’ 

Ms Gibbs said funds would go towards medical bills, everyday costs, travel and other unexpected expenses.

‘Our biggest hope is that this family can focus on what matters most – getting through each day, supporting their little one, and recovering together – without having to worry about how they will manage financially,’ she wrote.

A 67-year-old man was also in a critical condition but police confirmed that has been downgraded to a serious but stable condition.

Indika Samarasinghe will next appear in Newcastle Local Court on October 15.  

Andy Burnham has abandoned the Government’s disputed proposals to restrict the use of jury trials.

The Prime Minister reversed the policy, first brought forward under former premier Sir Keir Starmer, which was intended to ease the severe backlog facing courts across the UK.

Under the revised approach, only selected fraud and other financial cases will be eligible to be tried by a judge alone, without a jury, the Ministry of Justice said.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he had decided to “change course” after taking into account the “strength and feeling” expressed against the proposals.

Labour MPs on the backbenches, opposition parties and leading barristers had all raised concerns about fairness. Critics also questioned whether removing juries would genuinely reduce the huge number of outstanding cases.

Barrister Karl Turner, who lost the Labour Whip earlier this year after speaking out against the plans, welcomed the decision to drop the legislation.

He also thanked Mr Burnham “for his support during my campaign”.

Mr Turner, the outspoken MP for Kingston upon Hull East since 2010, said he had held direct discussions with the Justice Secretary about the proposals in recent weeks.

Reacting to the Government’s decision, Mr Turner said: “I strongly welcome the fact that the new Justice Secretary, Alex Norris, has rightly binned the unworkable plans to curtail jury trials pursued under the previous Labour prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer.”

The Hull East MP said he would continue urging ministers to uphold the public’s right to a fair trial.

“This is an important step, but the fight to protect access to justice and ensure justice is properly served for both victims and the accused does not end here.”

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy had been a leading supporter of limiting jury trials, but the proposed legislation faced intense opposition in Parliament.

Mr Lammy previously argued that the reforms were “desperately needed” to stop victims enduring what he described as “agonising delays”.

Ministry of Justice figures recorded 80,829 cases waiting to be heard in court at the end of June. The backlog has doubled since 2020.

Under Mr Lammy’s proposed Courts and Tribunals Bill, jury trials in England and Wales would have been reserved for cases expected to result in sentences of at least three years, including offences such as murder and rape.

Cases carrying a likely sentence of three years or less would instead have been heard by a single Crown Court judge, without a jury.

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Mr Norris insisted that scrapping the proposal would allow the Government to reduce the backlog faster, as it would require less structural change.

The Ministry of Justice also announced that criminals accused of ‘relatively minor crimes’ will lose the right to choose a Crown Court jury trial over a Magistrates’ Court hearing.

This change would give courts the final say on where and how the ‘either-way’ offences are dealt with in the legal system. 

The Justice Secretary said: ‘This Government inherited criminal courts on the brink of collapse, with victims waiting years for their day in court.

‘I remain committed to bringing down the backlog and delivering swifter justice for those who so desperately need it.

‘But I have heard the strength of feeling on the proposals for increasing the number of judge-alone trials in the crown court and have made the decision to change course.

Mr Norris added that the cancelled plans will mean victims do not have to endlessly wait for justice. 

‘Justice delayed is justice denied, and I am committed to maximising efficiencies in our system alongside record investment. 

‘I remain committed to structural reform which is crucial if we are to bring down the backlog.’

The changes will be made to the Courts and Tribunals Bill, when it is back on the agenda in Parliament later this month.  

Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said: ‘This is a major victory for everyone who fought to defend trial by jury, and Conservatives led that fight from day one. 

‘Labour have been forced to abandon its central attack on jury trials in the Crown Court.

‘Labour are restricting juries by the back door, scrapping the right to elect one and dumping those cases on magistrates whose backlog is at a record high.’

The proposed reforms were a response to recommendations made by Sir Brian Leveson to overhaul the courts system.

In his review, the former senior judge found there is ‘no constitutional or common law’ right, or right within European human rights law, for a defendant to be tried by a jury, and so there was no need to limit reforms because of this. 

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An 18-year-old P-plate driver who allegedly crashed his gold BMW into a group of Newcastle Knights fans, injuring 10 people, had previously had his licence suspended.

NSW Police confirmed late on Saturday that Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe had been discharged from hospital and taken to a police station, where he was charged with nine offences.

The charges include three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, three counts of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and three counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct in charge of a motor vehicle.

Samarasinghe is due to appear at a bail hearing on Sunday. Court records have also revealed that his licence was suspended in February.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, he unsuccessfully challenged the suspension in April.

The crash happened on Saturday morning as crowds of Knights supporters gathered to wave off the team bus before the NRL Grand Final in Newcastle, north of Sydney.

Emergency services were called to the Newcastle Link Road roundabout on Transfield Avenue at about 9.30am after reports that a vehicle had struck people on the pavement following allegations it had been driven erratically.

The driver was arrested at the scene before being taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

Among those injured was a five-year-old girl who remains in a critical but stable condition in an induced coma.

Ashleigh Gibbs, understood to be a relative of the girl, has started a GoFundMe campaign to support the child and her mother, who was also injured in the crash.

‘A beautiful five-year-old child is currently in an induced coma after suffering serious injuries and has already required multiple operations,’ Ms Gibbs wrote.

‘Their mum was also seriously injured and will require multiple operations and a long period of recovery.

‘Both mum and child now have a long road ahead of them, with ongoing surgeries, hospital stays, rehabilitation and recovery.

‘Sadly, because of the severity of their injuries, mum will not be able to work for some time, placing enormous financial pressure on the family while they focus on healing and being there for each other.’

Ms Gibbs said the money raised would help cover medical bills, daily living costs, travel and other unexpected expenses.

‘Our biggest hope is that this family can focus on what matters most – getting through each day, supporting their little one, and recovering together – without having to worry about how they will manage financially,’ she wrote.

A 67-year-old man was also initially in a critical condition, but police later confirmed his condition had improved to serious but stable.

Four others, a girl, two, another girl, five, a woman, 31, and a man, 48, remain in hospital in stable conditions.

Three men aged between 24 and 27, along with a 63-year-old woman have been discharged from hospital.

Two teenage passengers in the driver’s car were not injured. 

One of the injured, Knights fan Chris Clancy, shared a photo of himself in hospital to Instagram on Saturday night, revealing he’d suffered a broken collarbone. 

‘Just letting you know myself, Tom and Matt were injured in the accident with the Newcastle supporters this morning,’ he wrote.

‘Tom has a graze on his left elbow but has been discharged all ready to go to the grand final tomorrow. Matt is still under observation but will more than likely be discharged soon with a graze and bit of bruising on his back.

‘I have a broken left collarbone which requires surgery and may have a possible sprained or broken right foot. UP THE KNIGHTS.’

Various Newcastle stars such as captain Kalyn Ponga wished him well in the comments. 

Newcastle Lord Mayor Gavin Morris confirmed the P-plater was a Knights supporter who had attended the celebration along with tens of thousands of people. 

‘He was excited. He was a supporter,’ he told ABC News.

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‘He was there for the joy of the moment as well. And somehow, yes, he has (allegedly) lost control of the car.’

The incident impacted the planned route of the Newcastle Knights Grand Final procession, which was diverted via an alternate route.

A video circulating on social media captured the moment the driver was arrested, with onlookers heard shouting insults at the teenager. 

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner David Waddell said two passengers in the gold BMW had to be removed from the scene due to the brewing anger from the crowd.

‘There were two other persons in the car. We had [to get] them out of there because the crowd did turn on them,’ he said. 

‘We have taken that male [driver] for mandatory drug and alcohol testing.’ 

Assistant Commissioner Waddell said there was a ‘fair bit of angst’ from bystanders but added some Good Samaritans helped provide first aid and even CPR to those who were injured.

When asked whether witnesses reached the driver before police, Assistant Commissioner Waddell said the crowd ‘came forward’ and detectives would investigate ‘any other offences that may have been committed’.

The Newcastle Knights addressed the incident in a statement on social media, saying: ‘We apologise to anybody who was waiting and missed the bus, but public safety is our priority.’

A representative for the club then addressed reporters early on Saturday afternoon.

‘The thoughts of everyone at our club are with those that are impacted by this event, [with] their families, and also those [who] are on scene,’ he said.

‘Respectfully, now, this is a matter for NSW Police so, at this stage, the club can make no further comment.’

Knights star Kalyn Ponga shared a heartfelt post on social media addressed to the Newcastle community.

‘We’re thinking of you, your families and everyone in our Newcastle community. Sending our love and support,’ he said.

The sentiment was echoed by his teammate, Dane Gagai, who said: ‘Our hearts go out to the families impacted by this situation. Thoughts and prayers are with you.’

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley had a tough message about public safety on the roads after the crash, which she called a ‘preventable tragedy’ after a ‘split second decision’.

‘We knew that people would be out celebrating the wonderful achievements of the Newcastle Knights and we set out warnings about driver behaviour and how important driver behaviour is,’ she said.

‘It is an absolute tragedy, a tragedy that needn’t have happened, a tragedy that was preventable.’

Following the news, messages of support were shared from politicians in both NSW and federal government.

Premier Chris Minns urged fans travelling to Sydney for the game to take care on the roads. 

‘It’s heartbreaking to see fans who were sending off their grand final team involved in such a terrible incident,’ he said.

‘My thoughts are with the families and friends of loved ones who have been involved or injured in the crash. I also want to thank emergency services, including police and ambulance, who are responding to this tragedy.

‘We’ve seen how this grand final has brought Newcastle together, and I hope the whole community remains united as we continue to respond.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken out, saying he had discussed the incident with Minns and expressed his concern for ‘everyone injured or involved in the horrible incident’.

‘Rugby league brings people together, and this should have been a weekend of excitement and pride for Newcastle fans,’ he added.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor also addressed the ‘devastating’ news.

‘On what should have been a happy community occasion for Newcastle, our thoughts are with the injured, and those assisting at the scene,’ he said.

Police said investigations are continuing.