WASHINGTON, D.C. - Democrats who represent the Toledo area on Monday accused President Donald Trump’s policies of aggravating the region’s economic and environmental problems, and implored him not to talk in a way that promotes racism or hatred during his Thursday campaign appearance at the 8,000-seat Huntington Center arena, which is owned by Lucas County.

“I’d like you to do us a favor when you come to our building,” Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said at a press conference in the arena. “When you get on this stage, don’t talk in a way that promotes racism ... don’t preach a message of hate. That is not who we are.”

Citing a Washington Post report that “counties that hosted a 2016 Trump campaign rally saw a 226 percent increase in reported hate crimes over comparable counties" that didn’t host a rally, Gerken said he didn’t want that statistic to apply to Lucas County.

“We want no violence in our community, we want no hate,” agreed Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur. “We want the president, rather than shouting, to be caring in the way he delivers his remarks to this community.”

Their press conference was part of a preemptive blitz by Democrats before Trump makes his first Ohio campaign appearance of 2020. Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown released a statement that said Trump gave billionaires tax breaks at the expense of Northwest Ohio families, that Trump tried to divert $15 million from Toledo’s 180th Fighter Wing to pay for his “ineffective border wall,” and that his efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act would strip health care from millions of Ohioans.

“Once again, the Democrats are focused on political stunts rather than addressing the real issues facing working families in Lucas County. The do-nothing Democrats time would have been better spent discussing how they were going to pay for the trillion dollar promises of... — Lucas County GOP (@GopLucas) January 6, 2020

Kaptur, Gerken, and Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak argued numerous Trump administration policies have hurt their region, including repeated efforts to cut funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, failure to channel economic development money to the area and failure to make good on his promises to lower prescription drug costs.

“We believe in strong policies that benefit our community," said Skeldon Wozniak. "We believe we’re faced with much deterioration under the current administration.”

They also criticized Trump for failing to reimburse security costs for communities where the campaign holds rallies. Toledo’s police department predicts it will incur $30,000 in overtime expenses because of Trump’s visit, said city spokesman Ignazio Messina.

So far, the Trump campaign has paid the management company that operates Huntington Center $15,000 for use of the arena, and is expected to provide another $53,000 after the event, said Lucas County spokesman Mark Reiter. He said that money is separate from the Toledo police department’s costs.

The Lucas County Republican Party responded to the Democrats’ press conference with a statement on Twitter that accused them of being “focused on political stunts rather than addressing the real issues facing working families in Lucas County.”

“President Trump comes to Lucas County with record employment numbers, record wage growth for working families, and a new sense of confidence in the American dream for all,” their statement continued. "Lucas County residents know they are better served by the tangible results delivered by President Trump, not the cheap political stunts of the do-nothing Democrats.”

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