Trump defends Ramaswamy ad using Acton's estranged mother
Donald Trump defended Vivek Ramaswamy's attack ad featuring Democratic rival Amy Acton's estranged mother, calling it 'very powerful' and telling Ramaswamy to 'keep it up' — as fellow Republicans including Mike DeWine and John Kasich condemned it.
Donald Trump has defended a controversial attack ad by Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy that features his Democratic opponent’s estranged mother, calling it “very powerful” and urging Ramaswamy to keep it up.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, October 22, Trump dismissed press criticism: “The Press is trying to convince everyone that this Ad is bad, because it’s so good! Who wouldn’t use such an Ad? I would, it’s called, ‘hitting pay dirt,’” he wrote. He said he had told Ramaswamy to “keep it up” rather than take the ad down.
The minute-long advert features Donna Arthur, the mother of Democrat Amy Acton, who accuses her daughter of lying “about her past” — including, according to People, that she spent time living in a tent. The Ramaswamy campaign has put $4 million into statewide airtime behind the ad, and said Arthur was not paid to appear.
Arthur’s claims clash with Acton’s long-public account. She has been estranged from her mother for 48 years, ever since Arthur’s then-husband was charged with raping the 12-year-old Acton. People reported, citing court records shared by Acton’s campaign, that her stepfather Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged in July 1978 after Acton’s biological father reported him; Acton and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody, and she last saw her mother in a courtroom in 1978.
The ad has drawn condemnation from Republicans as well as Democrats. Governor Mike DeWine, who endorsed Ramaswamy, called it “deeply, deeply troubling” and said “it was just wrong to run this ad,” while former governor John Kasich called it “completely inappropriate.” DeWine said he would still support Ramaswamy for governor. Trump attacked DeWine in turn, calling him disloyal to the Republican Party. Vice President JD Vance said he was “disgusted” by Republicans criticising the ad, telling them to “stop whining.”
Acton called the ad “despicable.” Her campaign released a response advert featuring her brother Philip Stearns, who said their mother “stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died.” Trump also defended the ad to reporters as he left the White House on October 22 for a campaign rally in Iowa. “I know nothing about it, all I know is the mother said very bad things about Acton,” he said.
Ohio elects a new governor on November 3, with DeWine term-limited. The Real Clear Politics average of recent polls has Acton leading by 3.6 percentage points.
Sources: Columbus Dispatch; USA Today; People; PoliAlert
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