President Donald Trump has waded into the contentious Ohio gubernatorial race, throwing his full support behind a controversial attack ad produced by Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The advertisement features the estranged mother of Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, a move that has sparked a fierce debate over the limits of political messaging and personal history.
On Thursday, the president utilized his Truth Social platform to characterize the ad as “powerful” and “so good,” urging Ramaswamy to keep it on the airwaves despite mounting pressure from both Democrats and high-ranking Republicans to pull the spot. Trump’s intervention comes at a time when the Ohio race has become a central flashpoint for the party’s internal divisions regarding campaign decorum and strategy.
“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,” Trump wrote. He went on to describe Acton as a “DISASTER” and alleged without evidence that she “uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals.” In a broader swipe at his own political rivals, the president added that he wished the mothers of his own opponents were as “brave” to come forward with similar criticisms.
The advertisement in question has drawn condemnation because it involves a deeply fractured family history. In the clip, Acton’s mother calls her daughter a “liar” and asks voters to support Ramaswamy. However, the context of the estrangement is rooted in a childhood that Acton’s family says was marked by severe trauma. Philip Stearns, Acton’s brother, has publicly condemned the ad, accusing the Ramaswamy campaign of weaponizing his sister’s history of childhood abuse and sexual assault for political advantage.
According to campaign records and public statements, Acton has been estranged from her mother since she was a child. The rift traces back to an incident when Acton was 12 years old, involving her stepfather. Court documents provided by the Acton campaign show that her stepfather was charged with raping her at that age. Acton’s mother reportedly chose to remain with her husband after the allegations surfaced. The stepfather pleaded not guilty to the charges but subsequently fled the state, according to those records.
The fallout from the ad has created a rift among Republican leadership. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is among those who have called for the ad to be taken down, a stance that earned him a sharp rebuke from the president. Trump labeled DeWine “disloyal to the Republican Party,” suggesting the governor preferred a Democratic victory over a candidate who would perform better in the role. DeWine’s office has declined to comment on the president’s remarks.
While some establishment figures, including former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, have joined the calls for the ad’s removal, the upper echelons of the current administration have signaled their approval of the hardball tactics. Vice President JD Vance expressed his own “disgust” this week, though his ire was directed at fellow Republicans whom he accused of “whining” about the attack. Vance’s defense of the ad aligns with the president’s own assessment; Trump noted on Thursday that if he were in the same position, he would also use such an advertisement.
Despite the bipartisan backlash and the pleas from Acton’s family, the Ramaswamy campaign has shown no signs of retreating. Campaign officials have defended the video’s content as a matter of transparency regarding a candidate’s character. To ensure the message reaches a wide audience, the campaign has announced a $4 million expenditure to promote the advertisement across Ohio. The Democratic camp has countered by pointing to the court records from the stepfather’s case as evidence of the cruelty involved in bringing the estranged mother into the political spotlight.
