Ramaswamy Goes All-In On “Unbelievably Disgusting” Ad With $4 Million Buy

Ramaswamy Goes All-In On "Unbelievably Disgusting" Ad With $4 Million Buy

Former Trump Administration official: "…the fact that Vivek Ramaswamy seemed to take credit and stand by it rather than wholeheartedly denounce it I think, says all you need to know about his character."

As voices from across the political spectrum condemn Vivek Ramaswamy's "despicable" and "unbelievably disgusting" ad starring Dr. Amy Acton's estranged and abusive birth mother, Ramaswamy is going all-in, committing $4 million to run this disgusting smear statewide.

DGA spokesperson Izzi Levy released the following statement in response:

"Ohioans already knew that Vivek Ramaswamy is a liar, grifter, and a proud ally to creeps and abusers everywhere - yet this week he still found a way to stoop even lower by recruiting a woman who chose her rapist husband over her kids to deliver his closing campaign message. Ramaswamy's desperation is obvious, and the millions of dollars he's spending to shove reprehensible lies down Ohioans' throats is already backfiring. It's one final reminder of how unfit he is for any office, and an appropriate end to his political career before he returns to ripping off investors and pushing failed pharmaceuticals."

Here's just a brief sampling of the backlash to Ramaswamy's despicable ad:

MS NOW's All In With Chris Hayes:

"…this week, we are seeing some of the most genuinely desperate tricks I've ever seen in my career. And none are as despicable as this one ad going around in support of Vivek Ramaswamy."

CNN's Newsnight With Abby Phillip:

Conservative radio host Jason Rantz: "Look, prior to this I would have voted for him if I lived in Ohio. After this, knowing the backstory, I wouldn't… it is so unbelievably disgusting to put this kind of ad out."

CNN's AC360:

Former Trump Administration Spokesperson Alyssa Farah Griffin: "It is honestly the grossest ad I can think of; I was racking my brain for something worse. Anyone behind it should be ashamed and the fact that Vivek Ramaswamy seemed to take credit and stand by it rather than wholeheartedly denounce it I think says all you need to know about his character."

POLITICO: Republicans' mom burn messaging

• The latest October surprise to land on X this week: A now $4 million ad from Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother denouncing her own daughter as a liar. MAGA influencers and allies of Ramaswamy, including Donald Trump Jr., quickly seized on the video as a potential political kill shot in the governor's race.
• That shot backfired spectacularly.

• And the backlash crossed partisan lines. Meghan McCain blasted the attack as "dastardly," while Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee's longtime aide Dan Hauser deleted his own post sharing the video after learning more about Acton's past.

• Even Republicans close to Ramaswamy are recoiling. "It's so gross to forsake family members for politics," a Republican operative close to the campaign told Playbook. "I think it's bad. It's just morally bad."

The New York Times: Attack Ad Featuring Candidate's Mother Turns Ohio Governor's Race Even Uglier

• "Our birth mother stayed married to Amy's rapist until he died," Mr. Stearns said. "This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core - a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants."

National Journal: Behind Ramaswamy's Explosive Ad

• The poll shows that Ramaswamy's campaign was trying to calculate whether Acton's own mother speaking against her could drown out any noise of her defense of a sexual abuser. By airing that ad, it seems they've made their bet. But given the rampant backlash, Ramaswamy is likely the one whom this attack ad negatively impacts.

HuffPost: Ohio Governor's Race Reaches New Low As Republicans Roll Out Amy Acton's Pedophile-Protecting Mother

• What the video doesn't mention: Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, married a man, Cledith "Bud" Arthur, who sexually abused Acton from the ages of 9 to 12. She then abandoned her daughter and son to live as a fugitive with her husband.

• Ramaswamy's campaign recently took down an ad about state property taxes that featured B-roll footage of a man who happened to be a registered sex offender.

Axios: Exclusive: Ramaswamy doubles down on ad featuring rival's mother

• Several prominent Republicans and conservative commentators blasted the ad, arguing that it could generate sympathy for Acton.

• Republican strategist David Urban on CNN drew a parallel to the Epstein controversy, warning that voters are especially sympathetic to victims of sexual assault and that the ad could backfire.

• "It seems crazy to me one would assume this would work and not backfire," conservative commentator Mary Katharine Ham posted on X.

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