Shapiro and Hinson criticise Vance over defence of Ramaswamy ad featuring Acton's mother

Mixed · 2Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for Ohio governor is under fire over a TV ad featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance defending it. 1 2 Centre · 1According to Newsweek, the ad features Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of lying about her past and urging Ohio voters not to elect her. 2 Centre · 1Newsweek, citing police and court records obtained by the Associated Press, reported that Arthur lost custody of her children after her husband, Acton's stepfather Cledith Arthur, was arrested and charged with raping Acton when she was 12; he pleaded not guilty and the case did not go to trial after he left the area while free on bond. 2

Right · 1On CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, called Vance "profoundly and pathetically weak" for defending the ad and for admonishing Republicans such as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine who criticised it. 1 Right · 1Shapiro said he had prosecuted dozens of people for sexual abuse, called the ad "disgusting", and said it reflected a lack of character in Ramaswamy for attacking a victim. 1 Centre · 1Also on Sunday, Ashley Hinson, the Trump-backed Republican Senate candidate in Iowa, told ABC's "This Week" that the ad should come down and called Vance's criticism of Republican critics "ridiculous" and "absolutely the wrong tone". 2

Centre · 1Vance had praised Ramaswamy for having "the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar", said whether the ad was appropriate was "not really my concern", and said he was "a little bit disgusted" by Republicans who "whin[e]" about the ad more than about Democrats' plans. 2 Centre · 1Trump, at an Iowa rally, said he had advised Ramaswamy to leave the ad up, and called it a "very powerful Ad" on Truth Social. 2 Centre · 1Other Republicans have criticised the ad: DeWine urged the campaign to take it down, Sen. Jon Husted said he "would not have run" it, and former Rep. Patrick McHenry cited a "complete lack of judgment"; Chris Christie, a Trump critic, called it evidence of a "rotten moral core" in the party. 2

Centre · 1Ramaswamy has stood by the ad, saying it "had nothing, nothing to do with childhood abuse" and was about Acton's record of "telling lies"; his spokesperson Connie Luck called Acton a "serial fabulist" and said the campaign did not know what happened between Acton and her mother. 2 Centre · 1Acton, speaking at a Cleveland rally with Barack Obama on Saturday, said Ramaswamy had chosen to "exploit intentionally my childhood...just to save his struggling campaign". The election is on November 3. 2