President Donald Trump has weighed in on the uproar over an Ohio campaign ad, even as he insisted he knows nothing about it. The ad comes from Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican running for governor, and it features the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton.
A reporter raised the issue with Trump outside the White House on Wednesday. At first, the president did not seem to know what the reporter was talking about and asked where it was happening. After the reporter explained, Trump said he had heard that Acton’s mother “went against her,” but did not see what that had to do with Ramaswamy.
The reporter then told him Acton had been sexually abused as a child by her mother’s husband, and asked if the ad was appropriate. Trump replied that if the ad were about a Republican, the press would “let it go,” and said that is why the question was being asked.
He repeated that he knows nothing about it. Still, he offered his own view of the family dispute. Trump said he hears the mother “went very rogue” on her daughter and does not have much respect for her. He also suggested the mother may be a witness to certain things. He called it a very unusual situation for a mother to dislike her daughter that much, but said he does not think it has anything to do with Ramaswamy.
What the Ad Says
Ramaswamy’s campaign confirmed on Tuesday that it made the ad and is spending $4 million to run it across Ohio. In it, Donna Arthur, Acton’s mother, accuses her daughter of lying about her childhood and asks voters not to back her.
The video has drawn outrage from both parties. Acton has said that she and her brother were taken from Arthur’s custody when she was 12 because of severe abuse and neglect. That included sexual abuse by her stepfather, whom Arthur defended. Acton has not spoken to her mother since.
Vance Defends the Ramaswamy Campaign
Vice President JD Vance has also addressed the backlash. On Wednesday, he said he is “a little bit disgusted” by Republicans around the country who complain more about the ad than about what Democrats are doing.
Vance pointed out that he has been on the ballot in two elections and has faced negative ads himself. He said Ramaswamy has been called a “murderer” during this heated race. “Politics is a tough business,” Vance said, and he urged Republican officials who believe in their message to stop whining about an ad and win the race in 13 days.
