Conservative panelists on CNN's "NewsNight" have sharply criticized Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for his recent attack ad targeting Democrat Amy Acton. The ad prominently featured Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who called her daughter a "liar" regarding her past accounts of poverty and abuse.
The ad, which Ramaswamy's campaign later took credit for and planned to promote with a $4 million spend, did not disclose that Acton's stepfather was charged with her sexual abuse, and her mother had abandoned her children while remaining married to him.
CNN host Abby Phillip questioned the ad's release, suggesting it might indicate Ramaswamy's campaign feels it is "down that bad."
Conservative pundit Scott Jennings described the ad as "extremely risky," noting that its effectiveness in focus groups does not account for public reaction to the full story and its potential rebuttal. He added that releasing such an ad late in a race is "not a confidence-inspiring item."
Another conservative panelist, Jason Rantz, stated that he would not support Ramaswamy after learning about the ad's context. "It is so unbelievably disgusting to put this kind of ad out," Rantz said. "I’ve never seen it this low, and I don’t think Vivek should want to be known for that."