President Donald Trump on Thursday defended a controversial campaign ad by Vivek Ramaswamy featuring the estranged mother of Amy Acton, his Democratic opponent in the Ohio gubernatorial race.
President Trump’s defense of the ad came after bipartisan backlash against the ad, especially since Acton’s stepfather, who was married to Acton’s mother, was charged with sexual abuse when she was a child.
In the ad, Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, says Acton has been “lied to all his life.”
“Don’t vote for people who lie,” Arthur says in the ad. “Don’t let her become governor. If you think she’ll make your life better, you’re fooling yourself. Things will only get worse.”
“Vivek Ramaswamy ran a very powerful ad in which his mother says her daughter Amy Acton, who is running for governor of Ohio, is a liar and worse,” Trump said in a Thursday post on Truth Social.
“The news organization is trying to get Vivek Ramaswamy to ‘remove the ad’ in a coordinated and well-orchestrated attack,” Trump said. “Frankly, when a mother talks about her daughter that way, it usually prevents her daughter from holding public office, let alone the governor’s office.”
President Trump also criticized Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine for demanding the ad be removed even though he continued to support fellow Republican candidate to replace Mr. Ramaswamy.
“On its face, this ad is very disturbing,” DeWine said at a news conference early Thursday.
Trump said DeWine “probably wants a Democrat to win, not someone who is going to do a much better job than he is capable of doing.”
“On the other hand, I suggested that Vivek stay put and let everyone listen to the mother of a flawed, dishonest, incompetent candidate explain how her daughter is a horrible person who lies, cheats, and steals,” Trump said.
This is breaking news. Please refresh to check for updates.
