PRESIDENTIAL RACE | Portman disagrees with Trump statements, still backs him

YOUNGSTOWN — U.S. Sen. Rob Portman said he disagrees with statements Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has made about the Muslim parents of a soldier killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq, but is still backing his candidacy.

“When I disagree with Donald Trump, I speak up and I’ve done that consistently,” said Portman, a Republican from the Cincinnati area in Youngstown today to host a roundtable discussion with veterans recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

When asked if he was having second thoughts about his endorsement of Trump, Portman said, “I again am disappointed in what he said with this Gold Star family and some other instances where I’ve spoken up and will continue to.”

But when it comes to the economy, job creation and establishing the United States as a world leader, Portman said Trump “has the better solutions than does Hillary Clinton,” the Democratic presidential nominee.

Earlier today, ex-Gov. Ted Strickland, Portman’s Democratic challenger for the Senate, said the incumbent’s support of Trump is “an example of gutless political calculation.”

For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com