Ramaswamy Defends Attack Ad Against Opponent, Denies Link to Childhood Abuse

Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is defending a controversial attack ad he released against Democratic opponent Dr. Amy Acton. The ad features Donna Arthur, Acton's long-estranged birth mother, calling her daughter a "liar" and insinuating she has mental issues. Arthur has not seen Acton since 1978, when Arthur lost custody of her children after her husband was indicted for raping Acton.

Ramaswamy has faced criticism for the ad, including from some Republicans. However, former President Donald Trump called the ad "hitting pay dirt," and Vice President JD Vance expressed disgust with Republicans who objected to it.

In response to criticism, Ramaswamy stated that "Politics, sometimes, it’s a tough sport," and that the goal is to "point out where you think your opponents are flawed." On Friday, he insisted that the ad's purpose was not to shame Acton for her childhood trauma. "Our ad had nothing, nothing to do with childhood abuse, sexual abuse," Ramaswamy said. "We condemn that as forcefully as anyone. Our ad was about a consistent track record of Amy Acton telling lies, including during this campaign."

He added that he has never met Acton or her mother, but believes it is "absolutely acceptable for voters to hear and make a decision for themselves" if a candidate has repeatedly lied during a campaign.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine had called the ad "deeply, deeply troubling" and stated, "It’s wrong to run this ad." Ramaswamy responded that he "respectfully had a different view" and claimed his opposition, with media assistance, was "lying about an ad that’s about lying."

Acton called the ad "a horrible and hideous thing to do," adding, "My mother is not well. I think it’s despicable, but it’s exactly like he has been the entire campaign."

According to RealClearPolitics, Ramaswamy, who is a 7.7% stakeholder in BuzzFeed, the parent company of HuffPost, currently trails Acton 48.5% to 44.9% in polls.