President Donald Trump defended a controversial campaign ad from Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy featuring Democratic rival Amy Acton’s estranged mother, praising her decision to participate and arguing that Democrats would exploit similar criticism from his own mother.
The intervention puts the president firmly behind Ramaswamy as Republicans debate whether the intensely personal attack went too far weeks before Ohio voters choose their next governor.
Ramaswamy now enters the campaign's closing stretch with support from both Trump and Vice President JD Vance, even as prominent Ohio Republicans have criticized the advertisement.
The ad features Donna Arthur, Acton’s estranged mother, attacking her daughter’s character and urging voters not to elect her. Acton and her mother have been estranged for decades amid a deeply troubled family history.
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