Follow-Up: Trump Defends Vivek Ramaswamy's Controversial Ad: Calls It "Very Powerful," Slams Gov. Mike DeWine as a RINO
President Donald Trump on October 22 publicly defended a controversial ad by Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, calling it "very powerful" and attacking Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for condemning it.
The ad features Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton, accusing her daughter of lying "about her past." Acton and her mother have not spoken since Acton was 12, after her stepfather was charged with rape for allegedly sexually abusing her.
"The Press is trying to convince everyone that this Ad is bad, because it's so good! Who wouldn't use such an Ad? I would, it's called 'hitting pay dirt,'" Trump wrote on social media that day. In the post he also called DeWine a RINO, or Republican in name only, and "disloyal to the Republican Party." Vice President JD Vance also pushed back against critics of the ad, telling them to "stop whining."
DeWine and former Governor John Kasich had both denounced the ad — DeWine said "it was just wrong to run this ad" and Kasich called it "completely inappropriate" — while Senator Jon Husted and Secretary of State Frank LaRose said they would not have run it. Speaking to reporters on October 22 as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump said, "I know nothing about it, all I know is the mother said very bad things about Acton."
Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, issued a statement criticizing the ad and supporting his sister's account of their upbringing. The RealClearPolitics average of recent polls has Acton leading by 3.6 percentage points, and the Ohio governor's race is among the most contentious midterm contests in the nation. (GSM, based on USA Today reporting)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 俄亥俄州议会大厦（Columbus）。图片：Jsjessee，CC BY-SA 2.0，来源 Wikimedia Commons
- 2026-10-21Vivek Ramaswamy Admits the Controversial Ad Came From His Campaign: About $4 Million Planned as Governor's Race Heats Up
- 2026-10-22Follow-Up: Trump Defends Vivek Ramaswamy's Controversial Ad: Calls It "Very Powerful," Slams Gov. Mike DeWine as a RINOThis story
