Vance Urges Republicans to Focus on Race, Not Ad Criticism
Vice President JD Vance calls out Republicans for whining over Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad targeting Amy Acton in Ohio’s gubernatorial race.
3 min read
Vice President JD Vance has urged Republicans to stop complaining about Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial ad and focus on winning the upcoming Ohio gubernatorial race. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Vance criticized fellow Republicans for their public backlash, just 13 days before Election Day.
Call to Action for Republicans
“Politics is a tough business, and my message to my fellow elected Republicans is: If you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days,” Vance said.
Vance expressed his frustration with the reactions of some elected Republicans, who publicly condemned the ad with just 13 days to go until election day. “If you think it wasn’t tough enough, say that. But I have to admit that 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,” he said.
Ad Campaign and Political Strategy
Ramaswamy’s campaign has accepted responsibility for the ad and is pouring $4 million behind the bombshell spot, which features Donna Arthur, Acton’s estranged mother, calling her a “liar” and accusing her of fabricating stories about her childhood. The ad, which has sparked significant controversy, continues to roil the state’s gubernatorial race.
“It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but 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. She’s lied her entire life,” Arthur says in the one-minute ad. “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.”
Political Dynamics and Polling
Ramaswamy is trailing Acton by nearly four points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. He has been accused of using the ad as part of a broader strategy to undermine Acton’s credibility. “What I do know [is] that Amy Acton has been repeatedly and serially dishonest during this campaign and for much of her record in public service, and I do think that record deserves to be scrutinized,” he told WJW.
Acton’s campaign condemned Ramaswamy over what it described as an “attempt to platform their estranged and abusive mother.” Acton also released a statement, saying she and her brother endured “abuse, hunger, and neglect” in their mother’s care. “Between the ages of 10 and 12, I was sexually abused by her husband, while my birth mother did nothing to protect me,” she said.
Legal and Historical Context
The New York Times reported that Youngstown police and court officials “could not immediately produce records” from the 1970s to corroborate Acton’s account. However, the Acton campaign provided documents showing that her stepfather pleaded not guilty, was indicted by a grand jury, and fled the state before trial, according to the Times. A subsequent arrest warrant was issued, but he never appeared before a judge. He died in Pennsylvania in 2004.
Acton and Ramaswamy are locked in a tight race to succeed Ohio’s term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine. With just two weeks until Election Day, Cook Political Report lists the race as a toss-up.
Source: Daily Wire
