Donald Trump Jr. Mocked by Critics After Claiming Democrats Want to 'Make Ohio a State': 'Did He Go to Trump U?'
Donald Trump Jr. appeared to forgot Ohio is a state.
Nov. 3 2026, Published 7:03 p.m. ET
Donald Trump Jr. may need to invest in a map of the United States, RadarOnline.com can report, after appearing to forget that Ohio is a state.
The president's son made the baffling gaffe while delivering a key speech in the hotly contested state ahead of the midterm election.
Donald Trump Jr.'s 'Oh No, Ohio' Moment
The president's son was ridiculed for making a gaffe during a key speech.
Trump Jr. was dragged by critics after standing in front of a crowd of voters in the Buckeye State and warning that if Democrats are successful in the midterm elections, they would push to "make Ohio a state."
"They want to pack the Supreme Court. They want to make Ohio a state, make D.C. a state, have permanent one-party rule, all apparently. I don’t know how it works, but you know, they can do these things and get away with it," he told the crowd. "All in the name of somehow preserving democracy."
The only problem is Ohio has been a state since 1803, something critics were more than happy to point out on social media.
"Don Jr. went to Ohio and warned voters that Democrats want to make Ohio a state. We're officially campaigning against the year 1803," one person snarked on X, as another echoed, "Who wants to tell Don Jr. that he's too late to stop Ohio statehood by more than 200 years?"
Another person piled on, "Maybe the Trumps should master a little geography before handing out lessons in intelligence."
One person questioned, "Ummmm… did he go to Trump U?"
Political Pundits Call Out Don Jr.
Trump Jr. warned a crowd that Democrats 'want to make Ohio a state.'
Some of the Trump family's loudest critics were also quick to pile on, with former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger declaring, "Oh man!!!!! Not Ohio!!"
Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele chimed in, "This happened…in the State of Ohio (1803). If you ever needed a reason to vote…" before adding the hashtag #StoptheStupid.
While George Conway, famed attorney and ex-husband of former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway, simply confessed, "This made me snort."
Republicans Are in a Tight Race in Ohio
Critics from both parties called him out for the gaffe.
Trump Jr.'s strange slip-up came as he joined Vice President J.D. Vance at the Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport in the closely watched governor's race in Ohio, where Trump-backed businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is in a close contest against Democrat Dr. Amy Acton.
According to those in attendance, Trump Jr. was attacking Democrats over their political agenda when he appeared to confuse Ohio with Washington, D.C.
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Donald Trump Jr. Fumbles His Wedding Bill
Trump Jr. came under fire after his wedding.
Trump's son is still feeling the heat after he accepted financial help from a Russian businessman with close ties to Vladimir Putin for his Bahamas wedding celebration earlier this year.
Republican senator Thom Tillis was among a growing number of Republicans calling for an investigation into the president's son.
"Folks, this was stupid on stilts," he said on CNN's State of the Union. "You'd think somebody would've gotten a memo of a bad look. To have a Russian oligarch who's actually traveled in a delegation to Beijing fund some sort of island wedding for a very wealthy family that also happens to be related to the president? Come on, guys, this is amateur hour."
Even the president reportedly had a chat with his wayward son, confessing he "exhibited bad judgment" for allowing the businessman to pay for the post-wedding party.
Don Jr. married Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson on May 22, but details of the businessman's financial involvement didn't emerge until September. The man reportedly "footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses," according to officials in the know.
