President Donald Trump on Thursday defended the campaign ad Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy is running against Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, urged Ramaswamy to keep it on the air, and called Gov. Mike DeWine disloyal to the Republican Party for urging that it be taken down.
The ad features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter a liar and urging Ohioans not to vote for her. Acton has not seen or spoken to her mother since 1978, when she was 12. That year, Acton’s stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was charged with rape in Austintown, fled before trial and was never tried; he died in 2004.
“Vivek Ramaswamy put up a very powerful Ad about a mother saying that her daughter, Amy Acton, is a liar, and much worse,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “The Press, in a concerted and well coordinated attack, is trying to get Vivek Ramaswamy to ‘take down the Ad.'”
Trump then turned on DeWine, who earlier Thursday called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and said, “It was just wrong to run this ad.” DeWine has endorsed Ramaswamy and said he is not changing his endorsement.
“Our RINO Governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, who I unfortunately helped get elected years ago, as usual, disloyal to the Republican Party,” Trump wrote. “He strongly suggested that Vivek should, ‘take down the Ad.’ He probably wants a Dumocrat to win, and certainly doesn’t want someone who will do a much better job than he is capable of doing. I suggested, on the other hand, that Vivek should keep it up.”
“The Press is trying to convince everyone that this Ad is bad, because it’s so good!” Trump wrote. “Who wouldn’t use such an Ad? I would, it’s called, ‘hitting pay dirt.'”
Trump closed the post by attacking Acton directly. “The fact is, Lyin’ Amy Acton, who I’ve never even heard of before, has been lying about Vivek for the entire Campaign,” he wrote. “I know the real Vivek, he is a brilliant and outstanding person who will cut Taxes, stop Crime and, MAKE OHIO GREAT AGAIN. He will be a fantastic Governor!”
Asked by reporters about Acton’s account of abuse and her estrangement from her mother as he left the White House on Thursday for a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump said, “I know nothing about it, all I know is the mother said very bad things about Acton.”
DeWine is not the only Ohio Republican to break with the campaign over the ad. Former Gov. John Kasich said Thursday the ad is “completely inappropriate” and should be taken down. U.S. Sen. Jon Husted and Secretary of State Frank LaRose have said they would not have run it. Vice President JD Vance defended the ad on Wednesday and told Republicans criticizing it to “stop whining.”
Ramaswamy took responsibility for the ad on Tuesday. His campaign has said it is spending $4 million to air it through Election Day and will not pull it. The election is Nov. 3.
