Trump Defends Vivek Ramaswamy’s Controversial Campaign Ad Featuring Democratic Rival’s Mother

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has defended Indian American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy over a controversial campaign advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, in Ohio’s closely contested gubernatorial race.

The advertisement has triggered criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, including outgoing Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who called for its removal while maintaining his endorsement of Ramaswamy.

“It’s wrong to run this ad,” DeWine told reporters Thursday, according to CBS News. “I would urge Ramaswamy’s campaign to take this down.”

DeWine, a Republican who cannot seek another term because of term limits, described the advertisement as “on its face, deeply, deeply troubling.” However, he said he would not withdraw his support for Ramaswamy.

Trump took a different position, defending the Indian American entrepreneur during an exchange with reporters at the White House on Thursday.

“All I can say is Vivek is great,” Trump said, according to the White House press pool report.

“If it’s even a little bit true, you don’t want her as governor,” he added.

The advertisement features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, making damaging personal allegations against her daughter.

“It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy was a serious problem. She is a liar; she lies about her past,” Arthur says in the advertisement, according to CBS News.

The allegations have drawn particular attention because Acton, a former Ohio public health director, has publicly discussed experiencing abuse during her childhood.

Acton has said she was abused by her late stepfather, who was charged in 1978 with raping her. The case never proceeded to trial, according to CBS News.

The campaign advertisement has intensified debate over the use of personal family disputes in political campaigns, particularly when they involve allegations connected to childhood trauma.

Asked why he was supporting Ramaswamy’s advertisement despite objections from fellow Republicans, Trump argued that the media was unfairly criticizing Acton’s mother.

“That’s her opinion. I’m defending it because I know that if that ad were about my mother, you would love it,” Trump said.

“What’s happened is the press has ganged up on a woman making a horrible statement about her daughter, and I don’t know why she should be shielded or the daughter should be shielded,” he added. “If what the mother said about the daughter is half right, she has no right even running for the governor of Ohio.”

Trump also criticized DeWine on Truth Social, describing the outgoing governor as “disloyal to the Republican Party,” according to ABC News.

The controversy has created an unusual public disagreement among prominent Ohio Republicans just days before the November 3 election.

Vice President JD Vance, who campaigned for Ramaswamy in Ohio on Wednesday, defended the advertisement and criticized Republicans who objected to its content.

Vance praised Ramaswamy for having “the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is,” according to the vice-presidential press pool report.

“Politics is a tough business,” Vance told reporters, according to CBS News. “And my message to my fellow elected Republicans is, if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days.”

Ramaswamy’s campaign also pushed back against DeWine’s criticism.

Campaign spokesperson Connie Luck argued that Acton had been the first candidate to criticize an opponent’s mother during the race.

“The first and only candidate to attack the mother of her opponent in this race was Amy Acton,” Luck said, according to CBS News.

Acton condemned the advertisement Thursday, saying she had hoped Ramaswamy “wouldn’t sink this low, but of course he did.”

National Democrats have also entered the dispute.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries sharply criticized Ramaswamy in a post on X, calling on Republicans to withdraw their support for the candidate.

“Vivek Ramaswamy is a disgusting and slimy political hack,” Jeffries wrote Thursday. “Every single Republican should denounce this malignant clown and rescind their support.”

The escalating controversy comes as recent polling indicates that the Ohio governor’s race remains highly competitive.

A Fox News poll conducted October 15-19 showed Acton leading Ramaswamy 50% to 48% among likely voters.

A separate VoteHub/Verasight survey, conducted October 1-20 among 623 registered voters, found Acton with 46% support compared with 45% for Ramaswamy among likely voters.

That difference was within the survey’s 4.2-percentage-point margin of error. VoteHub noted that most interviews were conducted before the controversial advertisement began airing.

Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati-born biotechnology entrepreneur whose parents immigrated to the United States from Kerala, emerged as a prominent national Republican figure during his unsuccessful campaign for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination.

He subsequently became a vocal Trump ally and is now seeking to succeed DeWine as Ohio governor.

With the November 3 election approaching, the dispute over the advertisement has become a major issue in a race that polls suggest could be decided by a narrow margin. (Source: IANS)