Former President Donald Trump took the stage at the Covelli Centre just before 7:45 p.m. speaking for nearly two hours Saturday night at a rally featuring several Ohio Republicans.

The auditorium was filled with supporters of the former president, as well as supporters of U.S. Senate Candidate, J.D. Vance.

Trump, like all other speakers at the event, criticized President Biden and his administration for their handling of inflation, gun control, government-funded education, transgender athletes, increases in crime and border control. He encouraged all attendees to vote for J.D. Vance this election season.

Trump also criticized those he describes as the "Washington swamp" for impeaching him twice, as well as the investigation into the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Trump went on to criticize President Biden for his recent speech in Philadelphia where he stated those who he described as "MAGA Republicans" as dangerous to the United States democracy.

He also doubled down on the false claim that the 2020 election was rigged.

"I ran twice, I won twice and did much better the second time than I did the first getting millions more votes in 2020 than we got in 2016," Trump said.

Trump also highlighted his policies during his time as president such as the Space Force, steel tariffs, border control and tax cuts.

Trump did not officially announce that he is running in the 2024 election, but greatly hinted at it at Saturday night's rally.

"We're leading Biden now in all the polls, and we're leading all Republicans by record numbers," Trump said. "And now after what happened and watching our country go to hell, we may have to do it again. Stay tuned everybody."

Trump also criticized Valley Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate, Tim Ryan calling him a "phony" and accusing him of running on an "I love Donald Trump" policy.

"Tim Ryan is a militant left winger who is lying to your faces acting as though he's my friend on policy pretending he's a moderate so he can get elected and betray everything you believe in," Trump said.

J.D. Vance also briefly took the stage a second time after Trump endorsed him. Vance echoed Trump's criticisms of Ryan.

Other speakers at the event included JR Majewski, Madison Gesiato Gilbert, Max Miller, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Bill Johnson, Jim Jordan and J.D. Vance.

A little more than a dozen people showed up to counter rally in downtown Youngstown. They held signs and voiced concerns ranging from immigration rights to women's rights.

"We need to wake up to a united front against facism," Werner Lange of the Ohio Peace Council said. "It's outrageous that the MAGA movement and its leaders which are actually facists would come here to this working class community to drum up support."

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