Ohio Democrat AG candidate Elliot Forhan threatens to 'kill' Trump in disturbing video

COLUMBUS, OHIO: Democratic Ohio attorney general candidate Elliot Forhan raised eyebrows as he declared he would execute President Donald Trump in a video posted to social media on Tuesday, Jan 27.

Forhan, whose campaign pledges include “tax the rich” and “stand up to bullies,” made the remarks in an Instagram video that was later reshared by Libs of TikTok on X.

Elliot Forhan threatens to 'kill' Trump

Forhan said he would pursue Trump’s conviction, culminating in capital punishment.

“I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump,” Forhan said in the clip. “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.”

“That is what I mean when I say I am going to kill Donald Trump,” he ended.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics defines capital punishment as the process “of sentencing convicted offenders to death for the most serious crimes (capital crimes) and carrying out that sentence.”

Forhan announced his bid for Ohio attorney general in February 2025. He previously served one term in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he was stripped of his committee assignments and lost access to his office due to reported altercations with colleagues.

Past controversies resurface

The candidate has faced backlash before over incendiary rhetoric. Five days after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September, Forhan wrote “F**k Charlie Kirk” in a Facebook post.

Forhan later defended the explicit post, which began with the words “Violence is wrong,” saying, “The effort to sanitize, glorify, and canonize Charlie Kirk, the people who have suffered, who have lost their livelihoods, who have been terrorized by people threatening their lives, stand with them.”

“I chose my words carefully, and I chose them to communicate my message forcefully,” the Democrat added at the time.

Speaking with ABC 6’s Mike McCarthy, Forhan said, “Good manners are important,” prompting McCarthy to ask whether he considered his Facebook post to reflect good manners.

“The truth is more important,” Forhan responded.

Republicans condemn comments

Republican officials blasted Forhan following his remarks about Kirk. Current Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost criticized Forhan’s judgment and fitness for office.

“No public servant should say that about any human being, much less somebody who was just assassinated,” Yost posted on X at the time. “He just proved himself to be a petulant and undisciplined child, ill-suited to public office.”

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose also weighed in. “Incomprehensible that this vile person wants to be Ohio's attorney general," he posted on X.

Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, who is running against Forhan for attorney general, condemned Forhan's latest comments about Trump in a video posted to X on Tuesday afternoon and called on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton to disavow them.

“My Democrat opponent for Attorney General just came out and said he wanted to kill President Trump. That kind of vile comment makes it clear that Eliot Forhan is not qualified to be Attorney General,” Faber said.

“Add to that his recent celebration of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and you see just what kind of individuals the Democrats are running for Attorney General,” the Republican added.