President Donald Trump has branded NBC reporter Monica Alba a "horrible little reporter" after she asked him why he had defended Republican candidate for Ohio governor Vivek Ramaswamy’s recent campaign ad that featured the mother of his opponent, Dr. Amy Acton.
In the ad, Dr Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, accused her daughter of lying about the sexual assault and rape she faced at the hands of her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, in the 1970s.
When Monica tried to explain why even members of the Republican Party were denouncing the ad, Trump insisted that people didn't "know the facts" and then asked which outlet she worked for.
When she said NBC, he said it was "one of the worst networks," and then snapped: "Quiet! You’re a horrible little reporter, aren’t you?" Watch the video above.
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"If my mother said bad things about me, do you think the Democrats would put it up? I think so, but my mother thought I was wonderful," he said, before looking to the sky and exclaiming: "Thank you, mom!"
"If I had that ad, I should be so lucky to have an ad like that. Why wouldn’t you listen to a mother that says that?" he continued. "Why? Why would you, Miss NBC? Why wouldn’t you listen?"
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Amy was raised alongside her brother as part of a nomadic life; Donna often traveled the country with the children and their housing situation was never stable with 18 homes before was a teenager. Donna married Cledith when Amy was nine, and in July 1978, when Amy was 12, there was enough evidence for him to be arrested and charged with raping the young girl.
At the time, the family of four was living in a tent in a campground outside Youngstown.
In 2019, Amy said that during the court case, after he was charged, she turned to her mother to kiss her, and her mother "turned her cheek away." It was the last time Amy ever saw Donna.
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Cledith later failed to appear before a judge and became a fugitive in October 1978. Amy's mother remained married to him until his death in 2004. Amy and her brother were placed into the custody of their father, who had been denied custody because of the time.
In the ad, Donna says: "Don’t let her become your governor. If you think she’ll make your life better, you’re fooling yourself."
Vice President JD Vance has also defended the ad, and Vivek has stood by it, telling reporters that it is important to hear from people that are "close to" Dr Acton.
"I've never met or spoken to her mother, but I do think that if a candidate has repeatedly told lies in this campaign as she has, and she is called out for it by a lot of people who are close to her — from the state physicians to people who work for her to now another person who's close for her — I think that in the standard of political advertising that they have used and that the media regularly accepts, I think it is absolutely acceptable for voters to hear and make a decision for themselves," he said.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.