Trump defends Ramaswamy ad as DeWine urges its removal
publishers 78articles 105first reported 20 Oct, 12:15 UTCdeveloping since 20 Oct · 11 editions
President Donald Trump defended a campaign advertisement featuring the estranged mother of Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, rejecting bipartisan calls for Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to withdraw it.
In the ad, Donna Arthur calls her daughter a liar, disputes Acton’s accounts of childhood homelessness and abuse, and urges voters not to elect her. Ramaswamy’s campaign confirmed it produced the ad and plans to spend $4 million promoting it. Ramaswamy said Friday that the ad concerns Acton’s honesty, not the abuse she has described, and refused to remove it.
Acton has said she has not seen her mother since she was 12. Her brother, Philip Stearns, said their mother lost custody after her husband, Cledith Arthur, was charged with sexually abusing Acton. Arthur remained married to him until his death. Al Jazeera reported that court records and contemporaneous news reports support key parts of Acton’s childhood account, while FactCheck.org found records linking her stepfather to the campground where she said the family lived in a tent.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who has endorsed Ramaswamy, called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and urged the campaign to take it down, while keeping his endorsement. Trump criticized DeWine and said Ramaswamy should continue airing the ad. Trump later told reporters he had “no idea” about Acton’s allegation that her stepfather raped her.
Vice President JD Vance also defended Ramaswamy against criticism, while Iowa Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson joined those calling for the ad’s removal. Ohio voters are scheduled to choose their next governor on November 3.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 4 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 90 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- Source articles
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- Given to the writer
- 8, 4 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 90 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
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