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Lang's civil war prediction came after he took the stage, shook his fist, and shouted, "fight, fight, fight, fight, fight" in a manner reminiscent of Trump when he mouthed the words to supporters in the seconds after narrowly surviving an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler county, Pennsylvania, on 13 July.

As the crowd took up the chant, Lang followed up, saying: "We got time, come on. Hey, we are in the fight for the soul of our nation.

"We are in a fight for our kids and our grandkids, a fight that we can never imagine. I believe wholeheartedly Donald Trump and ... JD Vance are the last chance to save our country."

After remarks to the local media, however, Lang " who was elected to the Ohio senate in 2021 after having served in the state's lower chamber " struck a less belligerent and distinctly remorseful tone.

"I regret the divisive remarks I made in the excitement of the moment on stage," he posted on X. "Especially in light of the assassination attempt of president Trump last week, we should all be mindful of what is said at political events, myself included."