One of Ohio’s largest cities is making headlines, and not for the best of reasons. Over the weekend, a white man and woman were attacked by group of black assailants in Cincinnati. What began as a local incident drawing outrage from Ohio Republicans, including Sen. Bernie Moreno and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, has now grown into a national story.
The Department of Justice has taken notice.
Attorney General Pam Bondi thanked Moreno from drawing her attention to the story, and announced the FBI has “launched an investigation into the incident.”
When reached for comment, the DOJ pointed to its social media posts.
Meanwhile, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon suggested the DOJ is looking at possible civil rights violations in the case.
Vice President JD Vance was asked about the incident Monday in Canton, Ohio.
“What I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person, and it’s disgusting, and I hope every single one of those people who engaged in violence is prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Vance shared, predicting that “they will be so long as law enforcement in the state of Ohio takes their job seriously.”
Vance also brought up a part of the video showing a woman being targeted. “The one part that I saw that was really gruesome is you had a grown man who sucker punched a middle-aged woman,” he said, adding, “that person ought to go to jail for a very long time.”
“You’ve got to prosecute people,” Vance insisted. “We’ve had way too much lawlessness in the streets of great American cities.” The vice president bemoaned how “the local authorities in these big cities have allowed lawlessness to run wild” and called on the nation to “make great American cities safe again.”
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge has announced that five people have been charged. She’s also received criticism after calling out the media for sharing footage of the attack.
The footage drew the attention of national figures like Donald Trump, Jr., and is trending over X.
The Daily Signal reached out to the Cincinnati Police Department’s Public Information for comment.
The incident has also drawn chatter in Ohio’s current races, including this year’s Cincinnati mayoral election and next year’s gubernatorial election.
Republican Cory Bowman, who is running against incumbent Democrat Mayor Aftab Pureval, has been posting about the violence, including a thread with video footage of the assault.
Pureval posted a statement to X on Monday. It read in part that “we are making every effort to allow our officers to do their job and present formal results to the public, rather than engaging with early speculation.”
“Let me be clear: Cincinnati is an inclusive city where all can come together to enjoy major events in our urban core,” Pureval’s statement continued.
The Daily Signal has reached out to the mayor’s office.
Moreno blasted Pureval in his first post about the incident.
Ramaswamy has also posted about the attack, including a post tagging Dr. Amy Acton, who is running for governor as a Democrat.
Another post from Ramaswamy spoke about the female victim in the attack, whom he says is named Holly.
When reached for comment by The Daily Signal, Acton condemned the violence, while also going after Ramaswamy.
“The violent assaults that took place in Cincinnati this past weekend were horrific and unacceptable. I’m relieved to see that those culpable have been arrested and charged, and am sending my best to the victims as they recover and heal. Everyone in Ohio deserves to feel safe within their cities and communities. Police presence and staffing are a concern throughout the state, and for years, our legislature has raided local government funds in order to give out tax cuts at the top, which have too often led to police layoffs and staffing shortages in our communities,” she said. “Vivek Ramaswamy’s plan to accelerate these same failed policies will only lead to a further defunding of our police forces. As governor, I’ll partner with local government and law enforcement to make sure they have all of the resources and staffing they need to keep Ohioans safe.”
When reached for comment by The Daily Signal, Vivek for Ohio provided a statement from Jonathan Ewing, the campaign manager. “I’m glad Amy Acton has finally weighed in on this horrific situation. While Vivek has been reaching out to those attacked to listen and share ideas to support our police and ensure people are safe in our cities, she and other Democrats are making false claims and playing politics. It’s sad but certainly not unexpected from someone so out of touch,” Ewing said.
The Ohio Republican Party weighed in on the Cincinnati attack.
“For too long, Ohio’s cities have suffered under failed Democrat leadership,” Chairman Alex Triantafilou told The Daily Signal in a statement. “While chaos unfolds in places like Cincinnati, Vivek Ramaswamy is stepping up—calling out the truth and offering real solutions. Ohio Republicans have a plan, and it starts by engaging voters who are ready to fight back.”
Triantafilou has also posted extensively about the incident.
His message was simple: “More cops, jails, and longer sentences from our judges. Now.”
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