Donald Trump has issued a sharp rebuke against Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine after the governor publicly demanded that gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy take down a controversial campaign ad. The advertisement attacks Democratic rival Amy Acton by featuring her estranged mother.
Governor DeWine told reporters at the Ohio state capital on Thursday that the advertisement was “wrong” and “deeply, deeply troubling.” He implored the Ramaswamy campaign to remove it from the airwaves, noting that family members have historically been considered off limits in political campaigns. DeWine acknowledged that Acton had earlier in the year mentioned Ramaswamy’s mother’s involvement in an alleged financial scheme, but argued that the new ad crossed a distinct line.
Hours after DeWine’s remarks, Trump took to Truth Social to excoriate the governor, accusing him of disloyalty to the Republican Party. Trump suggested that Ramaswamy should keep airing the video across the state. The Ramaswamy campaign confirmed it is spending $4 million to broadcast the ad statewide.
The controversial video began circulating on social media earlier in the week and features Donna Arthur, Acton’s mother, calling her daughter a liar and arguing she should not lead the state. Acton has stated publicly that she has not seen her mother for decades, explaining that Arthur remained married to a man who sexually abused Acton when she was 12 years old and stayed with him even after police intervened.
Vice-President JD Vance defended the campaign’s right to run the material during an appearance in Cincinnati on Wednesday. Vance stated that whether the ad was appropriate was not his primary concern, adding that he was disgusted to see fellow Republicans complaining about the advertisement rather than focusing on Democratic policies ahead of the upcoming elections.
Connie Luck, a spokesperson for the Ramaswamy campaign, defended the strategy by pointing to past political messaging. “We refuse to accept the media’s double standards when Democrats have regularly used family members of President Trump, RFK Jr, and other Republicans in ads. Voters shouldn’t buy it,” Luck said in a statement.
The ad has drawn widespread condemnation from other political figures across the state and nation. Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, released a statement calling the advertisement a “despicable low” for Ramaswamy and reminding the public that he and his sister were removed from their mother’s custody following their stepfather’s arrest.
Republican US Senator Jon Husted, facing a high-stakes election bid that could influence control of the Senate in the November 3 midterm elections, also distanced himself from the material, telling reporters he would not have run such an ad. Democratic opponent Sherrod Brown labeled the video “disgusting” and called on all candidates to denounce it, while Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, told a Columbus-area broadcaster that he personally would not run an ad of that nature.
Despite his sharp criticism of the campaign spot, Governor DeWine declined to withdraw his endorsement of Ramaswamy in the gubernatorial race, stating that he remains committed to supporting the full ticket of Republican candidates in the midterms.
