President Donald Trump once again defended a controversial ad funded by Republican nominee for Ohio governor Vivek Ramaswamy featuring his opponent’s estranged mother.
“Vivek was treated very unfairly,” the president said, referring to the pushback Ramaswamy has faced for the attack ad against Democrat Amy Acton.
In the commercial, which began airing last week, Acton’s mother called her “a liar” and someone who “has a serious problem.”
Acton said her mother remained married to her stepfather, even after he was indicted on charges for allegedly raping Acton when she was a teenager, and leaving her and her brother to live with their biological father.
“The mother said that Amy Acton, the daughter, is a liar, that she’s no good, that she lied about the opponent,” Trump said. “How the hell is that his problem?”
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New internal polling showed Ramaswamy trailing Acton in the competitive race, raising fears among Republicans that the attack ad did not land well with voters, according to Axios on Wednesday.
Private polls showed Acton’s lead over Ramaswamy jumping six points since the ad began running. A memo attached to the poll stated that the crisis was “having a significant effect on the gubernatorial race.”
Although Trump has stood by Ramaswamy, many Republicans have condemned the ad, including Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), who called it “deeply, deeply troubling” and pushed to have the ad taken down.
On Wednesday, Trump continued to chastise the press for its coverage of the controversial ad, asserting that if his mother ever said something bad about him, “the press would be getting Pulitzer Prizes.”
Vice President JD Vance also defended the ad last week and said he was “a little bit disgusted” with Republicans who had criticized it. Meanwhile, Ramaswamy has refused to apologize for the ad and vowed to spend $4 million promoting it.
