Vance praises Ramaswamy for having ‘audacity’ to run controversial Amy Acton ad

Vice President JD Vance stood at a campaign rally in Cincinnati and publicly praised Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for airing a highly controversial political ad. The commercial features the estranged mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton, calling her daughter a liar, a move that has sparked widespread bipartisan backlash.

Vance told the crowd that Ramaswamy showed real courage, saying, “Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar.” Vance admitted he wasn’t even scheduled to speak about the ad, which he called the “biggest controversy,” but he couldn’t resist commenting. He urged voters to look past the sensational ads and focus on what he called the substance of the race, specifically attacking Acton’s leadership as Ohio’s health director during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, Acton spoke at her own campaign event in Wyandot County, calling the ad “horrible and hideous” and “exploitative.” She expressed deep disappointment that Ramaswamy used her painful family history for political points. Acton has been very public about her childhood trauma, revealing she was sexually abused by her mother’s stepfather between the ages of 9 and 12, and testified against him in court. Her brother, Philip Stearns, released a counter-ad slamming Ramaswamy, saying, “Shame on Vivek,” and arguing that his cruelty makes him unfit to lead the state.

President Donald Trump was also asked about the ad during the day. He told reporters he knew “nothing about it” but found the mother-daughter conflict strange, though he didn’t think it reflected poorly on Ramaswamy. Meanwhile, Ohio Senator Jon Husted, who is in a tight reelection race, distanced himself from the campaign tactic, telling the Associated Press, “I would not have run that ad.” Ramaswamy defended the ad by saying Acton needs to be held accountable for what he claims are lies, but insisted the race should ultimately be about policy.