A new political spoiler is emerging in Ohio, and Democrats couldn’t be happier.
Earlier this week, self-styled “America First” candidate Casey Putsch announced his run for Ohio governor, but beneath his candidacy is a familiar and dangerous pattern: a candidate who claims the America First mantle while openly despising President Donald Trump, echoing Democrat talking points, and positioning himself to fracture the Republican vote in a must-win state.
Ohio isn’t just any battleground. It’s the home state of Vice President JD Vance, and a state President Trump won by 12 points in 2024. If Democrats can’t win Ohio outright, their next best strategy is obvious: engineer a split on the Right.
Despite his “America First” rebrand, Putsch has a documented history of posting grotesque, defamatory, and demonstrably false claims about President Trump across X, YouTube, and Meta platforms.
In November, Putsch pushed a deranged smear tying Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, writing:
“Donald J. Trump… allegedly been giving BJs to old Bubba and super pals with Jeffrey Epstein and covering up the biggest and most evil child sex trafficking ring…”
This wasn’t an isolated incident.
That same month, Putsch accused Trump of theft, calling him the “captain of the ship of thieves,” and repeatedly urged followers not to trust President Trump — rhetoric indistinguishable from MSDNC talking points.
Putsch’s hostility toward Trump extends beyond rhetoric into policy alignment with the radical Left.
Over the summer, Putsch publicly agreed with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that President Trump should be impeached for military action against Iran. On June 22, he responded “I agree” to AOC’s impeachment post — putting himself squarely in line with House Democrats.
That is not “America First.” It is Democrat lawfare cosplay. And like many suffering from terminal Trump Derangement Syndrome, Putsch’s rhetoric has grown increasingly hostile and theatrical.
In July, he posted photos of himself burning his own MAGA gear, declaring:
“THIS is how Trump voters feel… How does EVERYONE in America get THEIR country back from all of these left and right psycho billionaires????”
That isn’t unity. It’s a call for rebellion against the America First movement
Putsch’s timing is telling. On September 8, just days after Reps. Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared alongside Democrats at a press conference where protesters held signs insinuating Trump was a pedophile, Putsch amplified the same narrative:
“And yet we can’t find the Epstein list… Trump sucks. And I voted for him 3 times.”
The coordination isn’t subtle. The talking points are identical.
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of Putsch’s rise is who helped platform him. In March, Putsch appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show, a moment he later credited for expanding his reach. Carlson’s history of hostility toward Trump is well documented, including leaked text messages expressing hatred for President Trump.
Putsch’s rhetoric now closely mirrors the “we’re the real America First” framing pushed by Carlson-aligned figures like Massie and Greene. Greene herself recently attended a Christmas party hosted by Carlson’s media company.
The question must be asked: Did Tucker Carlson know Putsch was positioning himself for a gubernatorial run when he gave him a national platform? And why does JD Vance continue to employ Tucker Carlson’s son?
Putsch’s credibility further collapses under scrutiny of his conspiracy-driven content. He has promoted reckless speculation surrounding political violence and foreign intelligence operations, including insinuations tied to Charlie Kirk and Israel, rhetoric that mirrors the online fringe rather than serious governance.
This is not the profile of a responsible executive leader. It’s the profile of a chaos agent.
Ohio election law makes the endgame disturbingly predictable. If Putsch withdraws from the GOP primary and re-registers as an independent before May 4, he could re-emerge claiming the primary was “rigged” against him, a familiar tactic used to justify third-party spoiler runs.
In a tight general election, even 5% of the vote siphoned from Republicans could be enough to hand the governor’s mansion to Democrats. That would be catastrophic — not just for Ohio, but for the national political map heading into 2028. With Ohio now a critical front in the national power struggle, Republicans cannot afford to ignore the danger posed by vanity candidates masquerading as “America First” while attacking President Trump at every turn.
The Buckeye State is too important to lose to ego, deception, and media-enabled sabotage. This race must be taken seriously before it’s too late.
