Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday praised Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for his "audacity" in running a controversial advertisement that featured the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The ad, which has drawn bipartisan criticism, includes Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter a "liar."
"Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar," Vance said during a rally in Cincinnati. Vance, who has endorsed Ramaswamy, defended the ad despite backlash, stating that voters should "focus on the substance" and "the facts."
The ad surfaced online late Monday, featuring Arthur stating that Acton "has a serious problem" and has lied about her past and upbringing. The advertisement comes weeks before the midterm elections, in which Ohio is hosting competitive races for governor, Senate, and House seats.
Acton called the ad "horrible and hideous" and "despicable" at a campaign event in Wyandot County on Wednesday. She characterized it as an exploitative tactic, stating, "it's exactly like he has been this entire campaign."
Ramaswamy confirmed his campaign produced the ad Tuesday, asserting a desire to focus on "substantive issues" while accusing Acton of evading accountability, debates, and what he alleged were her own falsehoods about him. Acton and her allies, including some Republicans, have condemned Ramaswamy for the ad and for referencing his opponent's childhood trauma.
Acton has previously spoken publicly about experiencing abuse and her strained relationship with her mother, with whom she has stated she has had no contact since age 12. Acton has alleged that her mother's second husband sexually abused her between the ages of 9 and 12, and she testified against him after charges were filed.
In response, Acton's campaign released its own ad featuring her brother, Philip Stearns. Stearns criticized Ramaswamy, saying, "Shame on Vivek... It's the contempt he has for Amy. It's the contempt he has for Ohio. He's not fit to lead."
Stearns also issued a statement asserting that Ramaswamy had "stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother's husband into a political talking point."
When asked about the ad by ABC News White House Correspondent Karen Travers, President Donald Trump stated he had "nothing about it," but added, "it's a very unusual situation to have a mother hate a daughter that much, but I don't think that has anything to do with Vivek."
Vance, addressing the ad, suggested that Acton was too sensitive to serve as governor. "I think that a person who is more worried about whether somebody says something mean about them, that person -- that person could never serve in the governor's mansion of the great state of Ohio," Vance said.
Ramaswamy himself did not mention the ad or Acton directly during his remarks at the rally preceding Vance's speech.
Senator Jon Husted, running for reelection in a closely contested race, told the Associated Press after the rally, "I would not have run that ad."
