(OPINION) Ohio state Sen. George Lang (R) introduced Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, at a rally on Monday and flat-out declared the U.S. might need a second civil war in order to be “saved” if Trump is not reelected in November.
“Trump and Butler County’s JD Vance are the last chance to save our country politically. I’m afraid if we lose this one, it’s going to take a civil war to save the country and it will be saved,” Lang said in a clip that quickly went viral online.
“It’s the greatest experiment in the history of mankind. And if we come down to a civil war, I’m glad we got people like Schmidty and the bikers for Trump on our side,” continued the Republican lawmaker, referring to other Trump surrogates at the rally.
Vance spoke in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio on Monday and vowed to represent the “forgotten communities all across our country.”
“My life wasn’t all that different from a lot of people who grew up in Middletown, Ohio,” he said. “It was tough, but it was surrounded by loving people, and it was surrounded by something that if we don’t fight for is not going to be around for the next generation of kids, and that’s opportunity.”
Lang quickly apologized for the bombastic comments, which comment a moment of rising political violence in the country.
“Remarks I made earlier today at a rally in Middletown do not accurately reflect my views,” Lang wrote in the statement. “I regret the divisive remarks I made in the excitement of the moment on stage. Especially in light of the assassination attempt on President Trump last week, we should all be mindful of what is said at political events, myself included.”
