Trump Backs Ramaswamy Amid Attack Ad Controversy in Ohio Governor Race

President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy amidst a controversy surrounding an attack advertisement launched by the Ohio gubernatorial candidate against his Democratic opponent. In a social media post on Thursday, Trump stated that Ramaswamy should continue running the advertisement, which features the estranged mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton.

The advertisement includes Donna Arthur, Acton’s mother, who disputes her daughter's narrative of a childhood marked by homelessness and sexual abuse by her stepfather, urging Ohio voters not to support her. Acton has stated she has not had contact with her mother since 1978. Acton’s brother has corroborated her account of being sexually abused by their stepfather during their childhood. The stepfather, who passed away in 2004, had faced rape charges.

“Anybody whose mother spoke about a daughter in that way would normally lead to the daughter being precluded from serving in office,” Trump commented. The US President also criticized Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who had advised Ramaswamy to withdraw the advertisement, labeling him as “disloyal” to the Republican party.

Speaking to reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, DeWine recounted the difficult experiences of rape victims he encountered as a county prosecutor and state attorney general. “It’s wrong to run this ad,” he stated. “And, even at this late time – my wife, Fran, saw the advertisement just run this morning on TV – I would just urge the Ramaswamy campaign to take this down.”

Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, described the advertisement as a “desperate, disgusting attack,” while Acton campaign spokesperson Addie Bullock characterized Ramaswamy’s decision to promote it as “both despicable and entirely predictable.”

Vice President JD Vance, who campaigned with Ramaswamy and US Senator Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican, on Wednesday, had previously dismissed the criticism. Vance, a former senator from Ohio, expressed his disapproval of Republicans who were “whining” about the advertisement, calling it low and in poor taste. Ramaswamy’s campaign announced it was allocating $4 million to promote the advertisement. Current opinion polls indicate that Acton holds a narrow lead over Ramaswamy in the closely contested race to succeed the term-limited Governor DeWine.