GOP Sticks by Offensive Ohio Ad as Forecast Turns Sour
WHO:
PBS - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine criticized the ad and said it should be taken down.
PBS - The ad features Amy Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, who calls Acton “a liar” and insinuates she has mental health issues.
PBS - Cledith Arthur, Acton’s stepfather, pleaded not guilty to a rape charge and later failed to appear at a court hearing.
NBC News Politics - President Trump defended Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial campaign ad.
NBC News Politics - The ad targets Ramaswamy’s opponent, Democrat Amy Acton.
NBC News Politics - NBC News reporters Monica Alba, Jon Allen, and Ben Kamisar presented reporting on the midterm elections.
Rolling Stone Politics - The article characterizes the ad as a “Cruel Campaign Ad” and says it “Grossed Out the GOP.”
WHAT:
PBS - Ramaswamy said the ad “had nothing to do with childhood abuse” and said, “The irony is they're lying about an ad that is about lying.”
PBS - Acton told Spectrum News, “I won't normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is just something I'm complaining about.”
PBS - Trump said Ramaswamy called him for advice and recalled telling him, “You've got to ride with it”; Trump also said he was jealous he had not had a similarly strong ad in his campaigns.
PBS - Police and court documents obtained by The Associated Press say Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter; the alleged abuse occurred from December 1976 to April 1978.
PBS - A grand jury indicted Cledith Arthur in September 1978; he remained a fugitive until at least 1981 and has since died.
NBC News Politics - President Trump defended Ramaswamy’s controversial ad in the Ohio governor’s race.
NBC News Politics - The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted its forecast of the race to “Leans Democratic.”
Rolling Stone Politics - The article says the ad’s controversy will not stop Republicans from trying similar tactics again.
WHERE:
PBS - Ramaswamy defended the ad at a campaign stop in northeast Ohio.
PBS - Trump recounted his advice to Ramaswamy at a campaign rally in Iowa.
NBC News Politics - The gubernatorial contest is in Ohio.
Rolling Stone Politics - The article discusses the Ohio governor’s race.
WHY:
Rolling Stone Politics - The article presents the ad as an example of how low MAGA is willing to go in the Ohio governor’s race.
HOW:
NBC News Politics - NBC News’ Monica Alba, Jon Allen, and Ben Kamisar showcased their latest reporting on the midterm elections.
(UPDATED October 24, 2026 01:27 UTC)
President Trump is defending Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial ad targeting Democrat Amy Acton in Ohio’s governor’s race. Trump said Ramaswamy called him for advice, and he urged him to “ride with it,” adding that he wished he had run an ad that strong in his own campaigns. The ad features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, who calls her a liar and insinuates she has mental health issues. Ramaswamy says the ad has nothing to do with childhood abuse, while Acton says she won’t normalize claims that her childhood is merely something she complains about. Court records say her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was charged with raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter, later failed to appear in court, and remained a fugitive until at least 1981; he has since died. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine criticized the ad and called for it to be taken down. The Cook Political Report now rates the race “Leans Democratic.”
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 21:17 UTC)
President Trump defended a controversial campaign ad by Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, which targets his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The ad has drawn criticism, with Rolling Stone describing it as a cruel campaign tactic that has grossed out Republicans. The article presents it as an example of how low the MAGA movement is willing to go in Ohio’s governor’s race. It also argues that the backlash is unlikely to stop Republicans from trying similar tactics again. Meanwhile, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted its forecast for the contest to “Leans Democratic.” NBC News reporters Monica Alba, Jon Allen, and Ben Kamisar presented their latest reporting on the midterm elections, including the developments in the Ohio race.