Vance Defends Controversial Attack Ad, Tells Republicans to Stop Complaining
(MENAFN) US Vice President JD Vance has called on fellow Republicans to stop "whining" over a controversial campaign advertisement targeting Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, which features her estranged mother accusing her of dishonesty.
While campaigning in Ohio for Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Vance said he was "a little bit disgusted" by criticism of the advertisement from within his own party.
In the ad, Donna Arthur, Acton’s mother, claims her daughter "lied her entire life". The advertisement does not mention that Arthur’s husband was charged with raping Acton when she was a child.
Ramaswamy’s campaign has taken responsibility for the advertisement and spent millions of dollars promoting it across Ohio.
Acton’s brother has joined the criticism, describing the use of alleged sexual assault as "a political talking point" as a "despicable low".
Acton and her brother were taken out of their mother’s custody in 1978, following the arrest of her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, who was charged with rape.
Acton said in an interview with Ohio news outlet The Vindicator that she has not spoken to her mother since that time. The Arthurs later left Ohio, and Cledith Arthur was never prosecuted on the rape charge. He died in 2004.
When the video featuring Donna Arthur first appeared on social media Monday evening, it did not identify who had funded or authorized it. Ramaswamy confirmed the following day that the advertisement came from his campaign and later pledged to spend $4 million (£2.9 million) on further broadcasts.
The advertisement has sparked criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who competed against Ramaswamy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, also condemned him, saying "he's a bad guy. It's a shame he continues to get away with it".
While campaigning in Ohio for Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Vance said he was "a little bit disgusted" by criticism of the advertisement from within his own party.
In the ad, Donna Arthur, Acton’s mother, claims her daughter "lied her entire life". The advertisement does not mention that Arthur’s husband was charged with raping Acton when she was a child.
Ramaswamy’s campaign has taken responsibility for the advertisement and spent millions of dollars promoting it across Ohio.
Acton’s brother has joined the criticism, describing the use of alleged sexual assault as "a political talking point" as a "despicable low".
Acton and her brother were taken out of their mother’s custody in 1978, following the arrest of her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, who was charged with rape.
Acton said in an interview with Ohio news outlet The Vindicator that she has not spoken to her mother since that time. The Arthurs later left Ohio, and Cledith Arthur was never prosecuted on the rape charge. He died in 2004.
When the video featuring Donna Arthur first appeared on social media Monday evening, it did not identify who had funded or authorized it. Ramaswamy confirmed the following day that the advertisement came from his campaign and later pledged to spend $4 million (£2.9 million) on further broadcasts.
The advertisement has sparked criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who competed against Ramaswamy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, also condemned him, saying "he's a bad guy. It's a shame he continues to get away with it".
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