Apr 10, 2021
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Warming up a crowd with a joke is a trick of the political trade. Republican Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted had, no doubt, used the technique successfully dozens of times before.
But one day last September, it was going very badly.
Husted, 53, was back in southwest Ohio, where he had spent decades as a college football star, business professional and state lawmaker, to kick off a campaign rally for President Donald Trump. His joke was an attempt to promote mask-wearing. Not only did the crowd not laugh, they booed.
“All right, I get it,” he finally said, awkwardly ending his joke about those forced to wear masks in grocery stores being able to “at least say that you’re trying to save the country” by wearing a Trump 2020-themed face covering. Even though he was there to promote the work he and Republican Gov. Mike DeWine were doing to elect Trump, someone heckled: “Get off the stage.”
In this Oct. 16, 2018, file photo, Jon Husted, then a candidate for Ohio lieutenant governor, speaks at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Government Day in Cincinnati. Now the current Ohio lieutenant governor, Husted entered the coronavirus pandemic as one of Ohio s rising Republican stars. After an uninterrupted two-decade climb from state representative, to House speaker, to state senator, to secretary of state, to lieutenant governor, his next stop was supposed to be the Governor s Residence. But his party s hard turn to the right has required deft recalculation. (John Minchillo | AP Photo, File)
COLUMBUS (AP) Warming up a crowd with a joke is a trick of the political trade. Republican Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted had, no doubt, used the technique successfully dozens of times before.
Opinion: Husted doesn t owe an apology for coronavirus tweet msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Ohio GOP lieutenant governor faces political test over tweet
JULIE CARR SMYTH and FARNOUSH AMIRI, Report for America/Associated Press
April 8, 2021
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1of5FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2018, file photo, Jon Husted, then a candidate for Ohio Lt. Governor, speaks at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Government Day, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now the current Ohio lieutenant governor, Husted entered the coronavirus pandemic as one of Ohio s rising Republican stars. Following an uninterrupted two-decade climb from state representative, to House speaker, to state senator, to secretary of state, to lieutenant governor, his next stop was supposed to be the Governor s Residence. But his party s hard turn to the right has required deft recalculation.John Minchillo/APShow MoreShow Less
Ohio GOP lieutenant governor faces political test over tweet wcpo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wcpo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.