Trump says he recommended “powerful” Ramaswamy ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother stay up

Updated on: October 22, 2026 / 5:41 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — President Trump on Thursday praised the "very powerful ad" Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is running featuring the estranged mother of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton. The president criticized Republican Gov. Mike DeWine for calling for the ad to be taken down.

Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that he suggested Ramaswamy keep the ad up, saying the press is "trying to convince everyone that this Ad is bad, because it's so good!" The ad, which first circulated on social media on Monday and is now television, features Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who called Acton a "liar" and sought to undermine her credibility. Acton's campaign condemned the ad, and her brother, Philip Stearns, called it a "despicable low."

According to court documents provided by the campaign, Arthur's now-deceased husband was charged with raping Acton, which she said occurred when she was between 10 and 12 years old. He entered a not guilty plea and left the area while out on bond; the case never went to trial.

DeWine on Thursday said he thought the Ramaswamy campaign should take the ad down. "It's wrong to…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/