President Donald Trump has strongly defended a controversial Vivek Ramaswamy campaign ad that has drawn heavy criticism from prominent Republicans in Ohio. According to the Guardian, the advertisement features Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton.
Donna Arthur has not seen her daughter since Acton was removed from her custody at age 12 following the arrest, charging, and indictment of Arthur’s husband for raping Acton, his stepdaughter. Arthur subsequently fled Ohio with her husband and remained married to him until his death in 2004.
Backlash and Trump’s Response to the Vivek Ramaswamy Campaign Ad
The advertisement sparked swift condemnation from within the Republican party, including outgoing Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who called for the video to be dropped and labeled it deeply troubling. However, Trump dismissed the criticism as part of a coordinated effort against the campaign.
Writing in a lengthy social media post on Truth Social, Trump claimed the backlash is a concerted attack designed to force the removal of the advertisement. Trump asserted that anyone whose mother spoke in such a manner would normally be precluded from serving in public office. Furthermore, the president criticized Governor DeWine, accusing him of disloyalty to the Republican Party and suggesting the outgoing governor would prefer a Democratic victory.
Trump encouraged the candidate to maintain the broadcast, stating that Vivek Ramaswamy campaign ad efforts took courage from Arthur and served to protect voters from making a poor choice. The president likened the political impact of the advertisement to hitting pay dirt.
Source: Trump defends Ramaswamy campaign ad condemned by Republicans, saying ‘Vivek should keep it up’ – live (source-feed timestamp 2026-10-22T19:51:46+00:00). AI-assisted report based on the cited linked article and its RSS feed; details were not independently verified.
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