President Donald Trump on Thursday defended a controversial ad from Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy that includes his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mom calling her daughter a “liar,” with the president on social media calling it “highly effective” and saying that he himself would run such an advert.
“Who would not use such an Advert? I might, it is referred to as, ‘hitting pay grime,'” Trump wrote in a social media put up on Thursday afternoon.
Trump additionally mentioned that Ramaswamy ought to hold the advert up — regardless of a number of Republicans’ calls to take it down.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters earlier than strolling to board Marine One on the South Garden of the White Home, Oct. 22, 2026, in Washington.
Aaron Schwartz/Getty Photos
The president attacked these Republicans — together with GOP Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who on Thursday instructed reporters in Columbus, Ohio, that the advert is “deeply, deeply troubling” and that the Ramaswamy marketing campaign “must take it down,” based on audio offered by Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS.
Trump referred to as DeWine “disloyal to the Republican Social gathering.”
“He strongly prompt that Vivek ought to, ‘take down the Advert.’ He most likely needs a Dumocrat to win, and positively doesn’t need somebody who will do a significantly better job than he’s able to doing,” Trump wrote on social media.
Mike DeWine, governor of Ohio, speaks throughout an occasion at Cleveland Cliffs Middletown Works in Middletown, Ohio, Aug. 21, 2026.
Brian Kaiser/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos
DeWine, earlier Thursday, had mentioned it is “unsuitable to run this advert,” including that although the midterms are quick approaching, he “would urge Ramaswamy’s marketing campaign to take this down.”
Iowa Republican Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson additionally condemned the advert, telling ABC Information Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl in an unique interview for “This Week” that Ramaswamy ought to take down the advert. Hinson is among the most high-profile Republican girls working for workplace this 12 months in a key battleground state that would decide management of the higher chamber.
“I give it some thought as a mother, and you concentrate on childhood having to relive that trauma. I believe it is completely horrible, and I believe they need to take the advert down,” Hinson instructed Karl in Iowa.
Iowa Republican Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson speaks with Jonathan Karl of ABC Information.
ABC Information
The advert, which circulated on social media late Monday, exhibits Acton’s long-estranged mom, Donna Arthur, saying that her daughter has lied about her previous and her struggles rising up.
Acton has been public about her expertise with abuse and brazenly spoken about her tumultuous relationship together with her mom, whom she says she has not spoken to since she was 12 years previous. Acton alleged her mom’s second husband molested her between the ages of 9 and 12. Costs had been filed in opposition to her stepfather, and Acton testified in opposition to him. He pleaded not responsible, however fled the state earlier than trial and by no means appeared earlier than a choose. He died in 2004.
In his put up, Trump referred to as Acton’s mom “courageous” for talking out in opposition to her daughter.
Ramaswamy, on Tuesday, confirmed his marketing campaign had made the advert, which has drawn bipartisan backlash for mentioning his opponent’s childhood trauma.
Acton has criticized the advert, calling it “horrible and hideous” throughout a marketing campaign occasion on Wednesday, including that the advert is “despicable” and “an exploitative factor to do.”
DeWine invoked his personal previous as a prosecutor of a number of rape instances, saying “I believe all of us have an obligation to talk out for the victims.”
“It is one of many causes I am doing this in the present day. We have to communicate out. We have to ship the message to youngsters that we’re right here to guard them and that there are individuals who will the truth is shield them, and we simply have to verify we at all times attempt to do this,” DeWine mentioned.
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks as President Donald Trump listens throughout an occasion at Butler Excessive Faculty in Vandalia, Ohio, Oct. 3, 2026.
Roberto Schmidt/Getty Photos
The advert got here almost two weeks out from the high-stakes midterm elections the place Ohio is residence to not solely a gubernatorial race, but additionally key Senate and Home races.
DeWine had endorsed Ramaswamy for governor — and indicated he would nonetheless again Ramaswamy and the entire Republican ticket within the state, based on WEWS.
“At the moment is in regards to the advert. However … I am not altering my endorsement,” DeWine responded to a query about his help for Ramaswamy.
DeWine joins a number of different Republicans within the state who’ve just lately spoken out in opposition to the controversial advert.
Former Ohio Rep. Jim Renacci — who additionally ran for Senate in 2018 and governor in 2022 — on Thursday referred to as on Ramaswamy to “pivot rapidly” away from the assault advert.
Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, who’s working for reelection for the seat, mentioned on Wednesday, “I might not have run that advert.”
Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose told ABC Affiliate WSYX earlier this week that his workplace is reviewing complaints in regards to the Ramaswamy advert to see if it violated any state legal guidelines after he mentioned he has obtained “complaints from varied folks.” He later added, “I’ll say that, you recognize, candidates will reply for their very own advertisements, that, you recognize, I most likely would not run an advert like that, however each candidate will get to make their very own resolution.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton speaks throughout a marketing campaign occasion at Ohio College in Athens, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2026.
Carolyn Kaster/AP Photograph
Vice President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy’s use of the ad throughout a marketing campaign occasion in Ohio on Wednesday.
“Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV business which calls it out like it’s and calls Amy Acton a liar,” Vance mentioned.
Vance additionally instructed reporters on Wednesday that he was “somewhat bit disgusted” by seeing “Republicans throughout the nation who’re whining extra about that commercial than they’re about what the congressional Democrats and different Democrats need to do to the USA of America.”
Hinson referred to as these feedback from Vance “ridiculous.”
“It is completely the unsuitable tone,” she instructed Karl. “It sends completely the unsuitable message.”
DeWine, who was Acton’s boss when she was head of the Ohio Division of Well being, mentioned he knew her to be truthful.
“My expertise together with her and dealing carefully together with her each single day was she actually instructed the reality,” he mentioned.
ABC Information’ Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
