President Donald Trump defended a campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, even as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine urged Vivek Ramaswamy to take it down.
At a White House press gaggle Oct. 23, Trump described Donna Arthur as “very smart” and called the ad “fair game.” He also said the video had nothing to do with Acton’s stepfather.
The 60-second spot features Arthur challenging Acton’s account of her early life, including her description of the family living in a tent, and asking voters to reject her. Ramaswamy’s campaign said it plans to spend $4 million to run the ad on television and digital platforms. The video does not directly mention sexual abuse. The Statehouse News Bureau reported that the campaign said the spot tested well with “persuadable” voters.
Acton has said her mother’s husband sexually abused her during childhood and that her mother did not protect her. A Mahoning County court file records a 1978 grand jury indictment charging Cledith Arthur, Acton’s stepfather, with rape and a not-guilty plea. The Associated Press reported the case did not go to trial.
DeWine, a Republican who endorsed Ramaswamy, called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and urged the campaign to withdraw it. He said he would keep his endorsement. Ramaswamy said the ad was not about childhood abuse and accused critics of “lying about an ad that is about lying.”
Acton previously led the Ohio Department of Health before becoming DeWine’s chief health adviser in 2020, according to the governor’s office.
On Oct. 23, The Cook Political Report changed its rating of the governor’s race from “Toss Up” to “Lean Democrat,” saying the ad reinforced its view that Ramaswamy was losing ground. The rating is Cook’s assessment of the contest; it does not quantify how voters responded to the video. Ohio’s general election is Nov. 3.
