‘Democrats want to make Ohio a state’: Trump Jr’s gaffe at midterm rally goes viral | WATCH

Donald Trump Jr has landed himself in an embarrassing moment on the campaign trail after mistakenly suggesting that Democrats want to make Ohio a state, more than two centuries after it became a US state. Speaking at a campaign event alongside Vice President JD Vance in Swanton, Ohio, on Monday (Nov 2), the US President’s eldest son appeared to confuse Ohio with Washington DC while listing what he described as Democratic plans ahead of the midterm elections. The video of his remarks has gone viral on social media.

“They want to pack the Supreme Court. They want to make Ohio a state, make DC 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,” Trump Jr. said.

Notably, Ohio became the 17th US state on February 19, 1803. Washington DC, on the other hand, remains a federal district and does not have voting representation in Congress.

Trump Jr’s Ohio slip-up draws attention

The apparent mix-up came during a final push by Vance to rally support for Republican candidates ahead of Tuesday's elections.

Trump Jr did not explain how Democrats could make Ohio a state, instead moving on to attack Democratic candidates, describing them as “the most radical people ever put forth by the Democrat[ic] party”.

He also targeted Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, who is challenging Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in a closely watched race.

Why Washington DC statehood is controversial

Unlike Ohio, Washington DC is not a state. Its potential statehood has remained a contentious political issue, with Democrats supporting greater representation for its residents and Republicans arguing that statehood could give Democrats an electoral advantage.

The District currently has a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives but no voting senators.

Trump Jr’s comments came just a day before Americans headed to the polls, turning an apparent slip of the tongue into an unexpected talking point during the final hours of campaigning.