CINCINNATI -- Lunken Airport and the Cincinnati Police Department are preparing for an Oct. 12 presidential visit, according to knowledgeable sources in both organizations.
An Ohio trip is not yet on President Donald Trump's official itinerary, but a police source confirmed the department was allocating staff to provide security during for an official visit. A source at Lunken said the airport has received unique calls from federal authorities that, based on past presidential visits, indicate Air Force One will arrive on Oct. 12.
Details about the President’s visit, such as the time, place and purpose of a prospective rally, had not been announced by Thursday night. However, one reason the President might visit the Tri-State is to boost the campaign of Republican Rep. Steve Chabot.
The race between Rep. Chabot and Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval, a Democrat, is among the most closely watched in the country. This week, the Pureval campaign announced it raised more than $1.5 million during the third quarter of 2018 -- a new record for campaign fundraising in the district, according to campaign officials.
The Chabot campaign raised $958,196.39 between Jan. 1, 2017, and June 20, 2018, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Polling analysis site FiveThirtyEight predicts a Chabot victory, but a 36 percent chance of Pureval taking the title might be too close for Republicans' comfort.
The Chabot campaign has not issued any official statement about a presidential visit. However, Rep. Chabot is often a supporter of the president’s positions. According to FiveThirtyEight, he votes in favor of them 96 percent of the time.
Editor’s note: WCPO does not ordinarily use anonymous sources. However, WCPO staff members use anonymous sources in rare circumstances where such sources are the only way to obtain information vital to the public good. WCPO staff members have vetted these sources and believe the information they provide to be accurate and in good faith.
