Topline

A local Ohio Republican group cancelled a rally with embattled Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, after a tumultuous week in which his ex-father-in-law, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, led a string of calls for his resignation over allegations he abused his ex-wife.

Key Facts

The Strongsville GOP said it was cancelling a rally with Miller and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Ohio, planned for Aug. 10 over security concerns, writing in an announcement that “the number and nature of the threats received have made the event untenable.”

The group did not criticize Miller, but blamed his political opponents for the threats.

The rally was in support of President Donald Trump’s voter ID law, the SAVE America Act.

The cancellation comes after a tumultuous week for Miller in which his heated custody battle with his ex-wife and Moreno’s daughter, Emily Moreno, became a major political story, prompting a House Ethics investigation and calls for his resignation from at least six Republican senators.

What To Watch For

The rally was set for the same day as the deadline for Miller to resign from the race so that local party officials can replace him on the ballot. He is running for re-election in his Cleveland-area district for a third term.

Key Background

The controversy surrounding Miller boiled over on Sunday when he posted a 20-minute video to his X account denying ever abusing his ex-wife or their 2-year-old daughter and accused his ex-wife of making the allegations as leverage in their custody dispute. The video prompted Bernie Moreno to break his silence on the allegations, which were initially made public in news articles in May, and multiple Republican senators followed suit. Moreno called Miller a “danger” to his daughter and granddaughter and said he needs “serious psychological help.” He also told reporters this week that Miller withheld his granddaughter's beloved blue bunny that she sleeps with for no apparent reason following a custody exchange on Sunday. Miller denied that he refused to give the Morenos the girl’s bunny back, though Mother Jones published screenshots it obtained of conversations between Miller’s and Emily Moreno’s lawyers and a custody coordinator that show he has a history of withholding the bunny dating back to at least March 2025. Miller is a former campaign staffer to President Donald Trump and worked in his first administration. He and Emily Moreno married at Trump’s Bedminster golf club in 2022 and the couple divorced in 2025. Trump has defended Miller in public amid the allegations, but told him in a phone call earlier this week the scandal might have killed his re-election chances, Miller told CNN.

further reading

Max Miller Accuses Bernie Moreno Of ‘Lies’ About Daughter’s Stuffed Bunny (Forbes)