Walter Cronkite school of
journalism at Arizona state
university.
Judy: Former president trump's
influence in this year's midterm
elections gets its first big
test in tomorrow's Republican
primary for Ohio's U.S. Senate
seat.
As John yang reports, trump's
surprise endorsement of a
one-time self-proclaimed
"Never-trumper" has shaken up
the race.
John: Friday morning at Nana and
papa's diner in thornville,
Ohio, about 40 miles east of
Columbus.
Time for this group's weekly
brecht is -- breakfast.
On the menu, eggs, French toast,
biscuits and gravy and, on this
last Friday before the primary
election, a large side of
politics.
I want to talk to you about the
senate primary Tuesday.
The name that comes up again and
again isn't even on the ballot
Donald Trump, who is backing
, senate candidate J.D. Vance.
>> Trump stepped up and, you
know, backed jd Vance.
John: And that's what made the
difference for you?
>> Absolutely.
>> I am 100% behind Donald
Trump. So and that's who he
recommended.
John: For most of the five major
candidates, and polls show no
clear front runner, it has in a
contest to see who could be the
most like trump.
>> President trump fought for
you, I will do the same.
>> Who was the candidate that's
the true America first
candidate?
>> It is not enough to elect
Republicans.
We have to elect the right kind
of Republicans.
John: They tout trump's issues:
Trade, immigration and the 2020
election.
>> There is no doubt in my mind
there was fraud.
John: First some voters like
, finance analyst Bob Beisel -
who was at a Vance event near
Columbus, that's a litmus test.
>> You're not a true I would say
put America first, Maga
candidate if you feel that the
2020 election was fair.
John: The crowded Republican
contest is getting far more
attention than the democratic
primary, where representative
Tim Ryan is the heavy favorite.
Mr. Trump: This man is going to
Come up, jd.
John: Last month, in Delaware,
Ohio, trump personally blessed
Vance's candidacy in the
Republican primary.
>> Ohio, do we love this guy?
Mr. Trump: If you want to
deliver a historic victory for
America here in Ohio and also a
first, historic defeat for the
-- historic defeat jd Vance is
, your guy.
John: In an interview that year
with the best-selling -- about
the best-selling memoir
"Hillbilly elegy," Judy woodruff
asked Vance about Hillary
Clinton's description of trump
supporters as "A basket of
deplorables."
Judy: Is there something to what
she said, or is she completely
off-base?
>> I think it is probably both.
There is an element of Donald
Trump's support that has its
basis in racism or xenophobia.
>> I get -- I can't get past how
much I hated trump.
>> I was saying I could see the
whole spectrum of how I felt
about it.
John: How concerned are you
about the skepticism we heard
today?
>> At the end of the day, we are
going to win the race.
>> You can only sell yourself to
a certain degree and then for
me, I'm going to go with my gut.
John: But for joab Scott, an
autoworker from southern Ohio,
Vance's change of heart mirrors
his own.
>> I think there were 15 people
on the stage at one time and he
was my 15th choice.
I am just as guilty as J.D.
Vance of not, you know, trump or
not supporting trump in the very
beginning.
>> Ohio has always been
typically a battleground state.
John: Scott and his
brother-in-law, Kevin black, who
works in finance, are both
backing Vance.
>> I like that he came from
poverty, a lot of adversity in
his life.
I already made the decision.
The trump endorsement was just
kind of an added bonus.
John: For black it helps seal
the deal.
>> If he puts his faith and some
other big name players are
putting their reputation behind
jd then, I have to trust what
they're saying.
>> I'm going to Washington to be
reinforcement for fighters.
John: Many observers expected
former state treasurer Josh
Mandel to get the trump
endorsement.
In his third run for the U.S.
Senate Mandel has been a
, steadfast crusader for trump's
agenda.
Though in Nebraska yesterday
trump seemed confused about just
who he endorsed.
Mr. Trump: We have endorsed JP,
right?
Jd Mandel, and he is doing
great.
[Applause]
John: He has been endorsed by
senator Cruz.
Mandel, who often campaigns in
evangelical churches, met
reporters with Cruz before an
appearance near Dayton.
What did you see in Josh Mandel
that president trump did not
see?
>> It is easy for a candidate to
say the right things, but what I
look for is their record when
, have they stood and fought and
bled.
John: Other candidates claim a
link with the former president.
Attorney Jane timken was
handpicked by trump to lead the
Ohio Republican party.
>> A lot of the candidates in
the race all of a sudden have
seen the light and are fighting
for those America first
policies, but I am the true
fighter.
John: Mike gibbons a millionaire
, investment banker, touts a
trump-like personal history.
>> When I get to Washington, I
will not owe anybody anything.
I cannot be bought, I have
already achieved to American
John: Of the leading candidates,
only state senator Matt Dolan
did not seek trump's support.
>> I am the only one talking
about executing, everyone else
is making noise.
I know who I am fighting for.
These guys just want to create
fights.
John: This cantankerous contest
is a sharp contrast to Ohio's
recent tradition of mainstream
statewide Republican
officeholders.
That includes the man whose
senate seat is at stake rob
, portman, a free-trade,
free-market champion who is
retiring.
Last year, he helped negotiate
the bipartisan 1 trillion-dollar
infrastructure deal signed by
president Joe Biden.
Pres. Biden: Senator rob portman
is really a helluva good guy.
I am not hurting you because I
know you are not running again.
[Laughter]
John: What has changed?
Vance voters joab Scott and
Kevin black have differing
theories.
>> The Ronald Reagan Republican
wasn't so divisive.
He didn't do anything to make
anyone divisive.
A trump Republican has to be
divisive.
>> I will say the opposite.
The voters have not changed, I
have not changed.
We are the same hard-working
Christian constitution, American
patriotic, that is the base of
the Republican party.
>> You don't think there is a
difference between the Ronald
Reagan Republican and the Donald
Trump Republican?
John: Much of Ohio, especially
rural areas, seems to be trump
country.
At places like Nana and papa's
there's no doubt about trump's
influence on this primary
election.
For the pbs newshour, I'm John
yang in thornville, Ohio.