US Vice President J.D. Vance has defended a controversial campaign video by Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, despite widespread outrage in both parties. The ad features the estranged mother of his Democratic rival Amy Acton, urging voters not to vote for her daughter.
“If you really believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about a video and go win the election in 13 days,“ Vance said in Cincinnati. He said he was "a little disgusted" when Republicans paid more attention to the ad than to Democratic policies.
$4 million ad
The clip features Donna Arthur, who has not seen her daughter since 1978. Arthur disputes Acton's claims about her difficult childhood and calls her a liar. Amy Acton claims she was sexually abused by her stepfather when she was 12. She says her mother stayed with him after he was accused of rape.
Acton has also claimed that her mother was deprived of custody of her and her brother due to abuse, neglect and sexual assault. Her brother, Philip Stearns, supported her story, calling the ad a "desperate, despicable attack."
The clip initially appeared on social media without any credit. Ramaswamy's campaign later confirmed that it was behind it and that it planned to spend $4 million on its television distribution.
Criticism and defense from Republicans
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called the ad "deeply, deeply disturbing." Republican Senator Jon Husted, who also campaigned in the state, said he would not run such a clip.
Vance, however, stood by Ramaswamy. "Vivek Ramaswamy had the nerve to run a TV ad that called things by their real names and called Amy Acton a liar," the vice president said. He described Ramaswamy as a close personal friend and accused Democrats of using "every dirty trick possible" against him.
President Donald Trump said he knew nothing about the ad. "It's very unusual for a mother to hate her daughter so much, but I don't think it had anything to do with Vivek," he said.
Acton campaign spokeswoman Addie Bullock called the decision to release the clip "despicable and completely predictable." Ramaswamy's campaign said they did not know what happened between Acton and her mother, but accused the Democratic candidate of "serial fraud."
According to political science professor David Cohen, quoted by Reuters, the ad could be a "gross professional error" for Ramaswamy's campaign. Polls show Acton with a slim lead in the Ohio gubernatorial race, and the election is part of the US midterm elections on November 3.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com