JD Vance defends controversial Vivek Ramaswamy campaign ad in Columbus

Vice President JD Vance backed a disputed campaign video by Vivek Ramaswamy on Wednesday in Columbus. The message targets Dr. Amy Acton two weeks before Election Day. The commercial features Acton’s estranged mother and focuses on child abuse.

Vance told reporters he felt disgusted by Republicans who criticized the television commercial. He later defended Ramaswamy during a political rally. He called Ramaswamy a close friend.

Vance said Democrats have used dirty tricks against Ramaswamy. He said Democrats even called him a murderer.

And now 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 as it is and calls Amy Acton a liar.

In the video, Donna Arthur calls her daughter a liar. She also insinuates Acton has mental health issues. Arthur lost custody after a stepfather faced rape charges.

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted shared the rally stage with Vance and Ramaswamy. Husted avoided talking about the video on stage.

“I would not have run that ad,” Husted said in a statement. Democratic opponent Sherrod Brown called the spot disgusting. Brown said everyone should denounce it.

Acton traveled to Wyandot County for a planned campaign appearance on Wednesday. The former state health director also released a positive commercial. She previously spoke about facing homelessness and childhood abuse.

In Cincinnati, Vance said politics is a tough business. He said the contents of the commercial were not really his concern. He said he focused on supporting midterm candidates.

I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America.

Several prominent Republicans criticized the video. Nikki Haley called Ramaswamy a bad guy on social media. Meghan McCain called the commercial dastardly.

Dan Hauser works as an aide to Republican Sen. Mike Lee. Hauser said he deleted a post sharing the video. He acted after learning about the accusations.

Ramaswamy will spend $4 million to air the commercial on television and online. He took responsibility for the video while talking to reporters. He did not discuss it during rally remarks outside Cincinnati.

Police and court records show Cledith Arthur was arrested in July 1978. He was charged with raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter. The abuse allegedly occurred between December 1976 and April 1978.

Cledith Arthur missed a court date and became a fugitive. He has since died. Acton said she has not seen her mother since the late 1970s.

Her campaign posted a video of her brother. He supported her account of childhood abuse and living in a tent. The campaign declined to address Vance’s remarks directly.

Vance said Acton lies about her political positions. Michael Wedding attended the rally. The 20-year-old said he plans to vote for Acton.

“She was sexually abused as a child,” Wedding said. He called the use of that history scummy.

Midterm elections determine control of state executive offices and legislative seats across the nation. Candidates run campaign advertisements on broadcast networks and digital platforms before voters cast ballots. Campaign teams often adjust messaging during the final weeks of an election cycle.

The race remains one of the most expensive contests in Columbus and across Ohio.