Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is facing major backlash for a campaign advertisement featuring his opponent’s mother. The ad, which features Democrat Amy Acton’s mother, has drawn criticism cutting across party lines, with members of Ramaswamy’s own Republican party calling it distasteful.
According to a report in Newsweek, Ramaswamy, 41, has been hit with venue cancellations after the advertisement aired. Several Ohio venues have refused to host the Republican candidate over the ad.
(Also read: Vivek Ramaswamy heckled at campaign event in Ohio over controversial ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother)
What does the ad show?
The ad, released Monday, features Amy Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur. Donna Arthur has not spoken to her daughter in decades.
In the ad, Arthur accused her daughter Acton of having a mental illness and lying about her childhood.
Amy Acton has claimed that she was raped by her stepfather as a child. She testified against him in court at the age of 12, and has not seen her mother since then. Donna Arthur lost custody of her children and fled the state along with her husband — who was never prosecuted on that charge before he died, according to The Independent.
{{/usCountry}}Amy Acton has claimed that she was raped by her stepfather as a child. She testified against him in court at the age of 12, and has not seen her mother since then. Donna Arthur lost custody of her children and fled the state along with her husband — who was never prosecuted on that charge before he died, according to The Independent.
{{/usCountry}}What did Donna Arthur say in the ad?
Arthur urged Ohio residents to not vote for her daughter in Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad.
“It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. She lies about her past,” Arthur said in the video.
She claimed that her daughter had lied about being homeless as a child and living in a tent.
Venues drop Vivek Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy has since lost out on support from small businesses, including venues that have refused to host him.
The Old Dog Ale House & Brewery in Delaware, Ohio, cancelled a Republican event on Friday featuring Ramaswamy.
On Tuesday, Elliot’s Wood Fired Kitchen in Newark also said they would not host the Republican candidate for a planned event.
(Also read: Gaffes, scepticism and divide: A look at Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign for Ohio governor)
Vivek Ramaswamy defends ad
Several Republicans, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, have criticized the ad.
Ramaswamy, however, has defended the advertisement, saying that it has “nothing to do with childhood abuse, sexual abuse,” but was about “a consistent track record of Amy Acton telling lies, including during this campaign.”