US President Donald Trump on Thursday, 23 October 2026 publicly defended Indian-American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial attack advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent Amy Acton in the Ohio governor's race, even as a fellow Republican called for the ad to be withdrawn. The move has sharpened an already bitter campaign in a contest now separated by just two percentage points in polling.

The Ad at the Centre of the Controversy

The advertisement features Donna Arthur, described as Acton's estranged mother, making pointed allegations about her daughter. 'It's not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy was a serious problem. She is a liar; she lies about her past,' Arthur says in the ad, according to reports. The ad has drawn immediate backlash given that Acton, a former Ohio public health director, has publicly spoken of being abused by her late stepfather, who was charged in 1978 with raping her. That case never went to trial. Acton responded on Thursday, saying she had hoped Ramaswamy 'wouldn't sink this low, but of course he did.'

Trump Doubles Down; DeWine Calls It 'Deeply Troubling'

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday afternoon, Trump offered unqualified support for Ramaswamy. 'All I can say is Vivek is great,' he said. 'If it's even a little bit true, you don't want her as governor,' he added. When pressed on why he was defending the ad after Ohio Republicans had called for it to come down, Trump said: 'That's her opinion. I'm defending it because I know that if that ad were about my mother, you would love it.'

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican who is term-limited, took the opposite position, describing the ad as 'on its face, deeply, deeply troubling' and urging the Ramaswamy campaign to pull it. DeWine, however, stopped short of withdrawing his endorsement. Trump swiftly labelled DeWine 'disloyal to the Republican Party' in a post on Truth Social, according to reports.

Vance Defends; Jeffries Attacks

Vice President J.D. Vance, who was campaigning in Ohio on Wednesday, backed Ramaswamy, praising him for having 'the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is.' Vance told reporters: '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.'

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries mounted a sharp counterattack, writing on X on Thursday afternoon: 'Vivek Ramaswamy is a disgusting and slimy political hack. Every single Republican should denounce this malignant clown and rescind their support.' The Ramaswamy campaign, in turn, deflected criticism through spokesperson Connie Luck, who argued that 'the first and only candidate to attack the mother of her opponent in this race was Amy Acton.'

A Tight Race with the Election Days Away

Two recent polls underscore how competitive the Ohio contest has become. A Fox News survey conducted 15–19 October placed Acton at 50% and Ramaswamy at 48% among likely voters. A separate VoteHub/Verasight poll of 623 registered voters, conducted 1–20 October, put Acton at 46% and Ramaswamy at 45% — within the poll's 4.2-point margin of error. VoteHub noted that most of its interviews were collected before the ad first aired, meaning polling shifts tied to the advertisement may not yet be fully captured.

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur born in Cincinnati to immigrant parents from Kerala, ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. The Ohio governor's election is scheduled for 3 November, leaving both campaigns little time to recover from or capitalise on the fallout.