Lead report from Democracy Now!
What happened
Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has released a campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, who accuses her daughter of lying about childhood abuse. The ad has drawn intense bipartisan criticism, including a call from Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for Ramaswamy to take it down. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have defended the ad, with Trump encouraging Ramaswamy to keep it on the air.
Outlets across the political spectrum agree that Vivek Ramaswamy released a campaign ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, that the ad has generated significant controversy and backlash, and that President Donald Trump has defended the commercial.
Left-leaning outlets like The New Republic and The Atlantic strongly condemn the ad as uniquely despicable and appalling, focusing heavily on the personal attacks and the dismissal of childhood abuse claims. Center outlets such as The Hill and NPR report neutrally on the developments, including the back-and-forth between Ramaswamy, Trump, and Governor Mike DeWine. Right-leaning outlets like Blaze Media and The Daily Wire frame the controversy around the political fallout and Ramaswamy's financial commitment to the ad, noting his decision to take ownership of the campaign spot amid the swarming backlash.
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Trump doubles down on anti-Acton ad in Ohio: ‘Vivek should keep it up’
President Trump defended Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad featuring his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother on Thursday, saying the Republican “should keep it up.” In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump hit Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) over his calls for Ramaswamy to take down the ad earlier Thursday. In the video, Acton’s mother…
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Source context: President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have both defended Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy after his campaign released a TV ad that appears to accuse Democratic nominee Amy Acton of lying about being sexually abused as a child. Acton’s stepfather was indic…
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President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have both defended Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy after his campaign released a TV ad that appears to accuse Democratic nominee Amy Acton of lying about being sexually abused as a child. Acton’s stepfather was indicted in 1978 on charges of sexually assaulting her when she was between 10 and…
Let’s just get this out of the way: The ad released on Tuesday by a super PAC connected to Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy (and later endorsed by the candidate himself) is the most despicable in American political history. It features the mother of Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, calling her daughter a liar. The ad’s…
Republican Mike DeWine says Ramaswamy ‘wrong’ to run controversial ad, drawing swift rebuke from presidentOhio’s Republican governor Mike DeWine on Thursday said gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was “wrong” to release an ad critical of his Democratic rival Amy Acton that featured her estranged mother, and implored Ramaswamy to take the ad…
The Republican candidate for governor of Ohio has drawn condemnation from the right and the left for casually dismissing his opponent’s account of being raped as a child.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is calling for Vivek Ramaswamy to stop airing an ad that features the estranged mother of Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Amy Acton.
Chris Lehmann The Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate has accused his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, of lying about being raped when she was 12 years old.
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton accused her mother's then-husband of sexual assault when she was a child.
President Donald Trump is speaking out in support of the explosive attack in Ohio by Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy that uses his opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother and is dividing the political world. The president said he encouraged Ramaswamy to keep the ad on air. “I told him leave it up and look upstairs and say, ‘Thank you, God, very much."…
The Ohio gubernatorial candidate’s campaign reportedly plans to put millions of dollars into the spot, which has been met with bipartisan backlash.
8 publishers
President Trump defended Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad featuring his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother on Thursday, saying the Republican “should keep it up.” In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump hit Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) over his calls for Ramaswamy to take down the ad earlier Thursday. In the video, Acton’s mother…
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The backlash over an Ohio campaign advertisement attacking Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, spread beyond the state's borders Thursday, causing fresh headaches for Republicans with less than two weeks until the midterm elections. The latest episode began when Gov. Mike DeWine criticized Vivek Ramaswamy, a fellow…
Speaking at a campaign stop, Ramaswamy said the advertisement, which features Acton's mother calling her "a liar," had nothing to do with childhood abuse.
Her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy is airing the ad featuring her mother, whose husband was charged with sexual abuse in her childhood.
It gets very personal as backlash against Trump policies and a divided base have put a GOP stronghold within Democrats’ reach.
"Who wouldn't use such an Ad?" President Trump wrote. "I would, it's called, 'hitting pay dirt.'"
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is being heavily criticized for an ad featuring the mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance defended the ad. Bloomberg's Mark Niquette reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
A campaign ad by Republican candidate for Ohio governor Vivek Ramaswamy includes the mother of Democrat Amy Acton. Acton says they've been estranged since she was abused as a child by her stepfather.
7 publishers
Election forecaster Cook Political Report shifted Ohio’s gubernatorial race toward Democratic candidate Amy Acton on Friday after a week of backlash over an ad Republican Vivek Ramaswamy ran featuring her estranged mother. The outlet shifted the race between Ramaswamy and Acton from a “Toss-Up” to “Leans Democrat.” “The trajectory of Vivek Ramaswamy’s odds…
Political attack ads are nothing new, but Vivek Ramaswamy’s latest one in Ohio’s gubernatorial race takes things to a whole new level. The ad features Amy Acton’s own mother urging voters not to elect her. “My name is Donna Arthur, and I’m Amy Acton’s mother. I worked at Children and Family Service Association, building one of the first two sexual abuse…
“It is an ad from our campaign,” Ramaswamy said of the blistering 1-minute spot, in which Donna Arthur – Acton’s mother – accused her daughter of being a “liar” and embellishing claims of abuse she allegedly suffered as a child.
Owning up to maternal mudslinging, a gubernatorial candidate has reportedly committed millions to promote his opponent’s mother’s testimony in a perceived “campaign-ending moment” In recent days, a…
Vivek Ramaswamy is taking responsibility for a controversial attack ad featuring his Democratic opponent Amy Acton's estranged mother.
Robby Soave and Amber Duke react to Vivek Ramaswamy's new campaign ad against opponent Amy Acton.
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is going all in on the explosive ad rocking the ugly race for the governor’s mansion. Ramaswamy’s campaign accepted responsibility and is pouring $4 million behind the bombshell ad, which features the estranged mother of his opponent, Ohio Democrat gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, calling her…
