Trump Ohio Rally Puts Kenworth Truck Jobs in Spotlight
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — President Donald Trump rolled into southern Ohio on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, turning a midterm rally at the Shoemaker Center into a showcase of American manufacturing jobs. Local leaders used the stage to tie the region’s industrial revival — from the Kenworth truck plant to a papermill reborn as a nitrile-glove maker — directly to the president’s tariff policies.
Before the rally, elected officials said they hoped to hear Trump talk about the rising cost of living and the effort to move federal contracts for nitrile gloves from overseas to Chillicothe. When the president took the stage, much of his speech focused on Ohio races and national issues, but he made sure local jobs had their moment.
Lawmakers Spotlight Kenworth Truck Jobs
U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Amelia, told the crowd that Trump has brought millions of dollars to Ohio and credited his support for keeping the Kenworth truck plant — one of Ross County’s largest employers — growing. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, called its trucks the “absolute greatest semis” and said Trump’s tariffs helped American businesses succeed.
“Because we want American-made semis on American-made roads with American-made drivers,” Moreno said.
U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, recalled a call from the plant’s manager, who told him the Chillicothe operation was being undercut by plants in Mexico. Husted credited Trump with helping save the plant and adding 1,000 jobs.
Paper Jobs Return to Chillicothe
Moreno also turned to the former Pixelle paper mill, whose closure he had called a “gut punch” to the community. He pointed to rally attendees now working at the U.S. Paper Mill making nitrile gloves at the site — part of the push to bring federal glove contracts home to Ohio.
“We’re going to make paper again there,” Moreno said, adding that he would not rest until the site is fully staffed. Alignment Engine, which is leasing land at the mill site for a data hall, has said the Chief paper machine would eventually restart.
Trump: “More Americans Are Working”
Taking the stage, Trump celebrated papermaking’s return to Chillicothe and doubled down on tariffs as the engine behind the manufacturing wins. He told the crowd that more Americans are working today than at any point in the nation’s history.
The message was tailor-made for Ross County, where the combination of the truck plant’s growth and the mill’s second life gives the administration a concrete story to tell about its trade policies. Local officials have spent months pushing to shift government glove contracts from foreign suppliers to Chillicothe — an effort the president’s appearance put on a national stage.
A Jobs Message for the Midterms
The Ohio stop was part of Trump’s multi-state midterm blitz aimed at turning out Republican voters. With Election Day approaching, the president’s allies are betting that stories like Kenworth’s 1,000 jobs and the paper mill’s revival will cut through voter anxiety about prices.
In Chillicothe, at least, the argument found a receptive audience — a packed arena cheering a promise to keep manufacturing jobs on American soil.
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