US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind a controversial campaign advertisement targeting Democratic candidate Amy Acton in Ohio’s closely contested governor’s race, urging Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to continue running it despite criticism from within his own party.The advertisement features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, challenging her daughter’s account of a childhood marked by homelessness and sexual abuse. Arthur also urges voters not to support Acton in the election.Trump endorsed the advertisement in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, while Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a fellow Republican, said the campaign should withdraw it.In his post, Trump did not directly address the allegations of abuse but attacked Acton, writing: “I suggested, on the other hand, that Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate, explain how the daughter is a DISASTER who, uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals!”
Family dispute becomes election flashpoint
Acton has said she has not seen her mother since 1978. Her brother, Philip Stearns, has backed her account of being sexually abused by her stepfather during childhood.The stepfather, who died in 2004, had been charged with rape.The advertisement has drawn criticism from Acton’s family and campaign, with questions being raised about the use of a deeply personal family dispute in a political contest.As criticism mounted on Tuesday, Ramaswamy’s campaign spokesperson Connie Luck issued a statement saying, “We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother … but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist.”Stearns described the advertisement as a “desperate, disgusting attack,” while Acton campaign spokesperson Addie Bullock called Ramaswamy’s decision to promote it “both despicable and entirely predictable.”
Republican governor urges campaign to pull ad
DeWine criticised the advertisement on Thursday, saying, “It’s just wrong,” and added that he would urge Ramaswamy’s campaign to take it down.The criticism has put Ramaswamy at odds with a prominent Republican in his own state. Vice President JD Vance, who campaigned alongside Ramaswamy and US Senator Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican, on Wednesday, had brushed aside the backlash.Ramaswamy’s campaign has said it is spending $4 million to promote the advertisement.The controversy could also affect the wider Republican campaign in Ohio, where Husted is seeking election to the US Senate against Democrat Sherrod Brown. Polls show Brown ahead in a contest that could help determine which party controls the Senate.Husted said in a statement that he would “not have run that ad”.
Political fallout could hurt Republicans
David Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron, described the advertisement as “campaign malpractice.” He said the controversy could create problems for Republicans beyond the governor’s race.Cohen suggested the backlash might alienate some Republican voters, warning, “I think this will either encourage some people to switch parties, or more likely, you’re going to have a lot of people staying home” on Election Day.Opinion polls show Acton narrowly ahead of Ramaswamy. Analysts have cautioned that an advertisement intended to damage a rival could instead hurt the party behind it, particularly ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
