Is civil war brewing in America? This is what one Republican thinks

The rhetoric surrounding a possible civil war in the United States has been swirling around in the political discourse of the country for years, but at no point in time has this looming threat been more blatant than during a recent political rally. 

On July 22nd, Donald Trump’s newly-announced running mate J.D. Vance was in his home state of Ohio when his opening act came out and made a remark that should be very concerning for every American—it was about civil war. 

Ohio State Senator George Lang took the stage in Ohio and immediately jumped into remarks that made it clear civil war in America might be necessary if Trump and Vance didn’t win the presidential election in November. 

Photo Credit: X @LangForOhio

“I believe wholeheartedly that Donald Trump and Butler County’s J.D. Vance is the last chance to save our country, politically,” Lang told a crowd of Trump and Vance supporters about an hour before the former president's new running was set to take the stage, according to Rolling Stone. 

“I’m afraid that if we lose this one, it’s gonna take a civil war to save this country,” Lang continued. But the Ohio State Senator took things a bit further and even told the crowd that he was happy his side could count on some tough people. 

“It’s the greatest experiment in the history of mankind, and if we come down to a civil war, I’m glad we got people like… Bikers for Trump on our side,” Lang said according to Politico. His comments were met with enthusiastic cheers. 

Photo Credit: X @LangForOhio

Lang would later come to regret his comments after he faced intense backlash for what he said at the rally, writing in a statement published on the social media platform X in which he acknowledged that what he said was divisive and inappropriate. 

“Remarks I made earlier today at a rally in Middletown do not accurately reflect my views. I regret the divisive remarks I made in the excitement of the moment on stage,” Lang, who represents Ohio’s 4th state senate district, wrote on X. 

Photo Credit: Screenshot X @LangForOhio

“Especially in light of the assassination attempt on President Trump last week, we should all be mindful of what is said at political events, myself included,” Lang added, though his apology may have been an attempt to save his November reelection bid.   

Whether or not Lang was truly remorseful about what he said or if he was caving to the pressure of public opinion is not known, but his remarks at the rally echoed a long-held tension brewing beneath the surface of American political life.

The possibility of civil war in America has been on the tips of many tongues ever since Trump hit the political scene, and more so after the January 6th Capitol Attack, but rarely has any politician been so brazen as to publicly welcome a civil war. 

Rolling Stone’s Tim Dickson reported Lang’s message suggested Republicans, or at least Trump’s MAGA adherents, were returning to form following their brief rebrand in the wake of the former president’s attemped assassination.

"The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee saw Republicans try to paint Trump as a changed man and a chastened figure who would lead the country to a less divisive, unified place,” Dickson wrote. 

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign called on Vance and Trump to apologize for Lang’s comments in a statement according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, which published a position of the campaign's comments on the incident. 

"Donald Trump and JD Vance are running a campaign openly sowing hatred and promising revenge against their political opponents," the Harris campaign’s statement read. "It’s a feature, not a bug, of their campaign and message to the American people."

"Trump and Vance pay lip service to unity, but their actions are more focused on dividing Americans than bringing us together. It’s the polar opposite of everything Vice President Harris stands for," the statement continued. 

The Harris campaign added: “Donald Trump and J.D. Vance should denounce George Lang’s calls for violence and apologize for platforming this kind of violence.” Vance did not apologize, the Cincinnati Enquirer noted, but his spokesperson did issue a statement.

“Senator Vance agrees with President Trump that we need to unite the country and he was glad to hear that State Senator Lang walked back those comments,” noted Taylor Van Kirk. But is such a mild rebuke enough in the face of the comments about civil war? 

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