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Trump Says Ramaswamy Hit 'Pay Dirt' With Outrageous Attack Ad: 'It's So Good!'
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President Donald Trump griped about pushback that Ohio gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy is facing from his own party for an extremely personal attack ad against his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. “The Press is trying to convince everyone that this Ad is bad, because it’s so good!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. “Who wouldn’t use such an Ad? I would, it’s called, ‘hitting pay dirt.’” The president made clear he doesn’t have an issue with the ad featuring Acton’s mother calling her “a liar” and someone who “has a serious problem.” “If my mother, the legendary Mary MacLeod Trump, said anything bad about me, the Fake News would play it up,” Trump said. “The Dumocrats would be totally supportive, and it would go down as the Ad of the Decade — Maybe the Century! It would win Awards for Excellence in Advertising.” Acton, the former director of Ohio’s Health Department, previously shared with voters that she was raped by her stepfather as a child and that her mother, Donna Arthur, chose to stay married to him until his death, eventually fleeing the state with him to avoid the law. Trump suggested that Arthur, who is estranged from both Acton and her brother, was in fact courageous for appearing in the ad in an attempt to discredit her daughter’s story. “I only wish the mothers of my opponents would be so brave as to come forward and explain that their son or daughter is a liar, and much worse,” Trump said. “That took a lot of courage to do but, essentially, what she was really doing was saving Ohio from making a truly horrible choice!” Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Wednesday that his office was investigating a number of complaints made about the ad. Ramaswamy, meanwhile, has refused to apologize for funding the ad and promised to spend an additional $4 million to promote it. Several Republicans, including Ohio Sen. John Husted and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, have spoken out against the ad. Most recently, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) suggested on Thursday that Ramaswamy’s ad was in poor taste and should be taken down, a choice Trump disparaged him for in his post. “Our RINO Governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, who I unfortunately helped get elected years ago, ... was, as usual, disloyal to the Republican Party,” the president wrote. “He strongly suggested that Vivek should, “take down the Ad.” He probably wants a Dumocrat to win.” He continued: “I suggested, on the other hand, that Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate, explain how the daughter is a DISASTER who, uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals!” By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.