US Vice President JD Vance has defended Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy amid growing controversy over a campaign advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic rival, Amy Acton. Speaking at a campaign rally near Cincinnati on Wednesday, Vance stated that he was a little bit disgusted by fellow Republicans criticising the television spot and urged them to focus on winning upcoming elections.
The 60-second commercial features Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Acton, in which Arthur accuses her daughter of lying and questions her suitability for office. According to the Associated Press, Arthur lost custody of her children after her second husband was indicted for raping Acton, who has stated she has not seen her mother since 1978 at the age of 12.
JD Vance Defends Vivek Ramaswamy Amid Ad Backlash
Addressing the controversy in his first public comments on the matter, Vance criticised members of his own party for focusing on the commercial instead of opposing the policy goals of congressional Democrats and other Democrats in the United States. He accused Democrats of using political tactics against Ramaswamy, a biotech billionaire and former Republican presidential candidate, alleging that opponents had thrown every dirty trick in the political book at him.
“The media and the Democrats in the state of Ohio are obsessed because — guess what? — Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar,” Vance said.
He added a direct message to elected Republicans:
“My message to my fellow elected Republicans is if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days,”
Reactions From Political Figures And Campaigns
The advertisement has drawn widespread criticism from multiple political figures across the political spectrum. Acton told HQ News Now that she would not normalise someone using her birth mother after she was removed from her care at the age of 12 due to severe abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.
Republican senator Jon Husted, who is running against former senator Sherrod Brown, stated that he would not have run the advertisement. Additional criticism came from former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who called Ramaswamy a bad guy, and Meghan McCain, according to the Associated Press.
US President Donald Trump told reporters earlier that he knew nothing about the advertisement but noted that he had heard the mother went very rogue on the daughter, adding that he did not think it had anything to do with Ramaswamy.
Despite the backlash from both parties, Ramaswamy’s campaign intends to proceed with airing the advertisement on television and online as part of a $4 million media spend. Meanwhile, Acton’s campaign has released a separate commercial urging voters to find more breathing room and work toward healing political divisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is JD Vance defending Vivek Ramaswamy?
US Vice President JD Vance defended Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy after facing criticism from fellow Republicans over a campaign advertisement featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother. Vance stated he was disgusted by the internal party backlash and urged Republicans to focus on winning the election instead.
What does the campaign advertisement feature?
The 60-second television commercial features Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton. In the advertisement, Arthur accuses her daughter of lying and questions her suitability for office, drawing sharp criticism from Acton and multiple political figures.
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