Vice President JD Vance, throughout a rally in Cincinnati on Wednesday, praised Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for having the “audacity” to cut a controversial ad that includes his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mom calling her daughter a “liar” — a transfer that has sparked bipartisan backlash.
“Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV industrial which calls it out like it’s and calls Amy Acton a liar,” Vance mentioned.
JD Vance speaks throughout a marketing campaign rally on the Sharonville Conference Heart on October 21, 2026 in Sharonville, Ohio.
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The advert, which circulated on social media late Monday, exhibits Acton’s long-estranged mom, Donna Arthur, saying that she loves her daughter however that “Amy has a major problem” and has lied about her previous and her struggles rising up. The advert got here almost two weeks out from the high-stakes midterm elections the place Ohio is house to not solely a gubernatorial race, but additionally key Senate and Home races that would decide the stability of energy in Congress.
At a marketing campaign occasion in Wyandot County on Wednesday, Acton referred to as the advert “horrible and hideous.”
“I feel it was a horrible and hideous factor to do, a tragic factor, and I really feel prefer it was an exploitative factor to do,” she mentioned. “I feel it is despicable, nevertheless it’s precisely like he has been this whole marketing campaign.”
Ramaswamy, on Tuesday, confirmed his marketing campaign had made the advert and mentioned he wished the race to be about “substantive points,” however that Acton had ducked accountability, debates and what he claimed had been her personal lies about him. Acton and different Democrats, in addition to some Republicans, have excoriated Ramaswamy for the advert and for mentioning his opponent’s childhood trauma.
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.
Acton’s marketing campaign responded to the advert with one in every of its personal wherein her brother, Philip Stearns, criticized Ramaswamy for the advert and famous she had been the sufferer of abuse.
“Disgrace on Vivek,” Stearns mentioned within the advert, including, “It is the contempt he has for Amy. It is the contempt he has for Ohio. He isn’t match to steer.”
Acton’s marketing campaign launched a press release on Tuesday from Stearns as properly saying Ramaswamy “has stooped to such a despicable low as to aim to show the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years previous from our beginning mom’s husband right into a political speaking level.”
ABC Information White Home Correspondent Karen Travers requested President Donald Trump in regards to the advert on Wednesday. The president mentioned he knew “nothing about it,” later including that “it is a very uncommon scenario to have a mom hate a daughter that a lot, however I do not assume that has something to do with Vivek.”
The vice chairman mentioned he “wasn’t even supposed to speak about” the advert — which he referred to as the “largest controversy” — however could not “assist myself.”
Vance mentioned Wednesday that voters ought to “deal with the substance” somewhat than the controversy, turning to assault Acton over her position as Ohio’s well being director throughout COVID.
“And my message, girls and gents, may be very easy: Whether or not — no matter you consider any of the TV ads, deal with the substance and deal with the information. And the actual fact is that Amy Acton was the lady who tried to masks your youngsters.”
Vance later mentioned Acton “might by no means” be governor as a result of she is “nervous about whether or not anyone says one thing imply about” her.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Sen. Jon Husted, Rep. Warren Davidson, Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Ohio State Sen. Rob McColley attend a marketing campaign rally with Vice President JD Vance on the Sharonville Conference Heart on October 21, 2026 in Sharonville, Ohio.
Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/Getty Photographs
“I feel that an individual who’s extra nervous about whether or not anyone says one thing imply about them, that individual — that individual might by no means serve within the governor’s mansion of the good state of Ohio,” Vance mentioned.
ABC Information has reached out to Acton’s marketing campaign for touch upon Vance’s feedback.
Talking forward of Vance on Wednesday, Ramaswamy made no reference to the controversial advert. Throughout his remarks, Ramaswamy didn’t point out Acton’s identify and even reference his opponent in any respect — a distinction from how he usually mentions her on the path.
Sen. Jon Husted, who’s in a toss-up race for reelection within the state, informed the Related Press after Wednesday’s rally, ” I’d not have run that advert.”
