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JD Vance Says He’s Disgusted by GOP Pushback to Ramaswamy Ad Featuring Amy Acton’s Mother
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Ramaswamy released an ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, drawing backlash. JD Vance said he was disgusted by Republicans criticizing the ad.
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Vance backs Ramaswamy
Vice President JD Vance said he is “disgusted” by Republican pushback to an ad by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy featuring the estranged mother of Democratic opponent Amy Acton. Vance told reporters in Ohio that it was “not really my concern” whether the “60-second spot” was appropriate, and he said he was focused on supporting Republican candidates in their midterm races.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign produced the ad, which features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing Acton of being “a liar” and insinuating she has mental health issues. Vance also said, “Politics is a tough business,” and he urged Republicans to stop focusing on the advertisement and “go win the race in 13 days.”
Backlash and competing claims
Republican Sen. Jon Husted said in a statement to The Associated Press, “I would not have run that ad,” after the ad drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, denounced the ad as a “despicable low” and said it attempted to turn the sexual abuse Acton endured at “twelve years old” into a political talking point.
Ramaswamy defended the ad and said he would spend $4 million to promote it despite backlash, while Axios reported the campaign confirmed it produced the ad and began streaming it after testing it with “persuadable” voters.
Acton’s campaign responded by saying the ad was “a repulsive advertisement” and by quoting a spokesperson who said Ramaswamy invested $4 million to give “star billing” to Acton’s “abusive mother.”
What the ad is about
Donna Arthur told viewers in the ad, “It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy was a serious problem. She is a liar; she lies about her past.”
“It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy was a serious problem. She is a liar; she lies about her past.”
The ad’s dispute centers on Acton’s account that she was sexually abused at age 12 by her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, and Acton’s claim that her mother sided with him.
Acton said in a Tuesday statement that “between the ages of 10 and 12, I was sexually abused by her husband, while my birth mother did nothing to protect me,” and she said she hasn’t seen her mother since childhood.
Vance framed his stance as focusing on governance and elections, saying “Whether the ad was appropriate or not is not really my concern,” and he tied the message to who would “govern the next generation of American government.”