You may have heard about the alleged assassination attempt against Ohio Democrat gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton over the weekend.
"While attending the Canfield Fair, an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people. Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured. This kind of violence has no place in Ohio. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate and vitriol that pits us against one another," said Addie Bullock, communications director for the Acton campaign.
— Dr. Amy Acton (@amyactonoh) September 6, 2026
There's just one problem. This story is a complete lie.
That statement is carefully worded to make you think Acton was standing in a gunman's crosshairs. She wasn't. Acton was never touched, never injured, and never threatened.
An armed man pushed through a crowd at the Canfield Fair on Sunday, knocking down two elderly fairgoers before deputies tackled him and placed him under arrest. Within hours, her campaign and a sympathetic press corps turned an arrest for disorderly conduct into an assassination attempt.
The campaign lied.
Yet, the New York Times, of all outlets, couldn't even back up the Acton campaign's version of events.
"An armed man was arrested Sunday after forcing his way through a crowd toward Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, the authorities said," the paper reported. "Dr. Acton was giving a speech at the Mahoning County Democratic Party tent at a fair in Canfield, in the northeastern part of the state, when a man pushed through the crowd, knocking over two elderly audience members, according to the county sheriff, Jerry Greene, and two witnesses. The man did not draw his weapons, according to Sheriff Greene and the witnesses. Dr. Acton was not injured."
Had there been even a hint of evidence that this was an assassination attempt or some form of attack against a political candidate, you can bet law enforcement would have treated it as such. But, law enforcement officials made it quite clear there was no assassination attempt, and the suspect is facing misdemeanor assault charges.
The Mahoning County Sheriff's Office identified the man as Patrick Havas, an Ohio resident, and released his mugshot after the incident inside a crowded tent at the Canfield Fair near Youngstown. Havas faces two counts of assault for knocking over those elderly attendees and one count of disorderly conduct. He carried two firearms in holsters under a valid Ohio concealed-carry permit and never drew either one. Officers only discovered the guns after they already had him in handcuffs.
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Despite the fact Acton was never in any harm, Democrats piled on like Acton was the victim of political violence.
"I just spoke to Amy Acton. She's tough. There's no place in our society for political violence. An issue that unfortunately Gabby and I are very familiar with. I want to thank law enforcement for stopping this attack. Perpetrators of political violence must be brought to justice," Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) wrote on X.
He wasn’t alone. Pete Buttigieg also chimed in. “There is no place for political violence in our country. I'm grateful that Amy is safe and thankful for the law enforcement officers who acted swiftly today. Attacks like this cannot just be the price you pay for running for office. This must never become normal," he wrote.
Kamala Harris, never one to miss a press opportunity, also posted a statement. "I am horrified by yesterday's attack on Amy Acton in Ohio and grateful for the the actions of law enforcement and others who helped — including Dr. Acton herself, who stayed to help attend to the injured. Political violence has no place in our nation. People must be safe to participate in our government and electoral process without fear of violence. The hate and division that dominate our political discourse must end," she said.
Even Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) joined in. "I'm thankful Amy Acton is safe. My thoughts are with everyone who was injured, and my gratitude goes out to law enforcement for responding quickly and getting the situation under control. Political violence should be concerning to all of us, it has no place in our democracy," he wrote.
None of them waited for the sheriff's report. None of them checked the facts first. They ran with a fake version of events because the story fit a narrative they'd already decided to sell.
So, why did the Acton campaign play the victim here? That’s easy to figure out.
Acton is locked in a dead-heat race against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. The most recent poll has Ramaswamy up three points, though Acton clings to a 0.3-point edge in the RealClearPolitics average. A race that tight needs a catalyst to generate a wave of anger, enthusiasm, donations, and a base fired up enough to show up on Election Day.
On top of that, Democrats have tried desperately since the assassination attempts on Donald Trump and the assassination of Charlie Kirk to convince the country that political violence is a "both sides" problem.
Make no mistake about it, the Acton campaign made a desperate move here and the New York Times, of all outlets, just handed everyone the receipts proving the campaign lied.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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