Ramaswamy’s Attack Ad on Acton’s Mother Backfires

3 min read

A political ad-style video featuring Amy Acton’s estranged and allegedly abusive mother, Donna Arthur, has drawn widespread condemnation, with critics accusing Vivek Ramaswamy of engaging in a sleazy attack. The ad, which aired during the Ohio gubernatorial race, shows Arthur describing her daughter as a ‘liar’ and urging Ohioans not to vote for Acton. The ad has sparked bipartisan backlash on social media, with many calling the strategy deeply distasteful and inappropriate.

🚨 BREAKING OVERNIGHT: In a huge surprise, Amy Acton’s own MOTHER just went on camera urging Ohioans NOT to vote for her daughter for governor "My name is Donna Arthur and I’m Amy Acton’s mother…Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true." “My daughter needs help…Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor. If you think she’ll make your life better, you’re fooling yourself. It will only get worse.” 🤯🤯 Now her own mother says it all isn’t true. Fifteen days out, this is one HELL of an October surprise for Ohio Democrats and Vivek Ramaswamy must be loving it! Acton’s “hard luck” childhood story has been the heart of her campaign pitch since day one! Arthur first disputed Acton’s story back in 2020, when Acton was running Ohio’s COVID response LISTEN TO THE MOM VOTE RED https://t.co/VeTRzxB8BG

@EricLDaugh on X

Acton’s campaign responded swiftly to the ad, with her brother, Philip Stearns, issuing a statement that condemned Ramaswamy’s tactics. Stearns highlighted the painful history of Acton’s childhood, including the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother’s husband, and criticized Ramaswamy for exploiting the situation for political gain.

Amy Acton’s brother slams Vivek Ramaswamy featuring her estranged mother in a campaign ad. "After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died. This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants."

@EricMGarcia on X

Stearns elaborated on the family’s traumatic experience, stating that after Acton and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody, she remained married to the man who abused them until his death. He called the attack ‘desperate’ and ‘disgusting,’ revealing what he sees as Ramaswamy’s true character.

The Daily Caller has reached out to Ramaswamy’s campaign, but it remains unclear whether they were involved in the creation of the video. In a 2019 interview with the Youngstown Vindicator, Acton described her childhood as marked by poverty and neglect, with her mother’s relationships with various men causing instability in their lives. One of these men, whom her mother married, sexually abused her between the ages of 9 and 12. According to Stearns, her mother stayed married to this man until his death.

Arthur has denied the allegations and claims the stories about Acton’s childhood are fabricated. In a 2020 interview with Operation Rescue, she said she sided with her husband, Bud, amid the allegations that led to her losing custody of her children. Acton and her brother remained in their father’s custody, while Arthur borrowed $10,000 from her father and moved away.

The video received bipartisan condemnation on X, with many expressing outrage at Ramaswamy’s tactics. Tim Carney, a Washington Examiner columnist, wrote, ‘This ad could sink Vivek.’ Lee Fang, an independent journalist, called the ad ‘disgusting,’ while Reason’s Robby Soave expressed sympathy for Acton after watching the video.

Earlier in October, the Ramaswamy campaign had already removed a registered child sex offender from a television commercial and deleted a social media video featuring him interacting with the candidate. This incident, combined with the current ad, has raised concerns about the ethics of his campaign.

Source: Daily Caller