SAYING SORRY

Even MAGA Trolls Apologize for Posting Twisted Attack Ad

Shamed Republicans have embarked on an apology tour.

Shamed MAGA trolls have started an online apology tour after sharing a twisted attack ad on a Democratic candidate.

Trump-endorsed Ohio Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is taking on Democrat Amy Acton to become the next governor of Ohio, with a Marist Poll released Tuesday showing Acton leading among Ohio likely voters at 50 percent, with Ramaswamy trailing at 43 percent.

As the gubernatorial race between them nears, a problematic political ad surfaced online on Monday that exploited Acton’s traumatic childhood.

In the 60-second ad, first obtained by The Rooster, Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, called the Democrat a “liar,” and warned voters her daughter has “a serious problem.” Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett called it “maybe the most disgusting political ad in living memory,” in an X post.

The content of the disturbing ad was addressed by Acton. In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday, she accused her birth mother of doing “nothing to protect me,” alleging that “between the ages of 10 and 12, I was sexually abused by her husband.”

“I won’t normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is ‘something I’m just complaining about,’ who today, just released an ad using my birth mother, who I was removed from at the age of 12 for severe abuse and neglect and sexual abuse,” Acton told Spectrum News of Ramaswamy’s campaign ad, while noting her brother, Philip Stearns, was also removed.

Stearns released his own statement saying, “It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point.”

The Republican’s campaign confirmed to Axios that it had produced the ad, which it spent $4 million to promote from Tuesday night. That is despite the backlash over the content, with Ramaswamy’s team warned that it could play badly after the Epstein files returned child sexual abuse to the national conversation.

Sources close to Ramaswamy’s campaign said the ad had tested well with “persuadable” voters, according to Axios.

Multiple pro-Trump accounts quickly seized on the ad to attack Acton, calling it a “bombshell” and a “huge surprise.”

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One MAGA social media user posted on X, “I was WRONG I need to offer an apology to Amy Acton, and condemn Vivek’s actions in regard to the ad featuring Amy’s mother. After a minimal amount of research, it appears Amy’s story regarding her abuse is true. I should have dug deeper into her allegations before posting any opinion on this. I am sorry.”

The post continued, “With that said, if I can take 5 minutes to verify her story, Vivek’s team should have done the same BEFORE running this ad. I won’t be voting for Acton, and my vote for Vivek will depend on how he choses to handle this mistake.”

DIRTY TRICKS

Twisted MAGA Ad Using Candidate's Mom Backfires Epically

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Also, after sharing the ad, a senior staffer for Ohio Republican senator Mike Lee announced he had deleted the offending clip from his social media.

Dan Hauser, whose X account and LinkedIn profile lists his job as Lee’s chief strategist since January 2023, expressed his regret about posting the problematic ad.

“My apologies,” Hauser wrote on X on Tuesday. “I posted the video of Amy Acton’s mother without understanding the details behind their relationship and the very serious accusations that caused their issues. After researching it, and the disturbing allegations, I have deleted the video post.”

Replying to comments, Hauser added, “I have four daughters and a wife that I need to look in the face and hope they’re proud of what they see.” He also stated that he still endorses Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy, meanwhile, told media on Tuesday that Acton’s mother was not compensated for her role in the advertisement. Columbus-based ad tracker Medium Buying said the ads do not appear to be on television, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Sources close to Ramaswamy’s campaign told Axios that the $4 million statewide campaign had began streaming Tuesday night.

“It is an ad from our campaign, and the thing that I want to say is that I would love for this race and this election to be about the substantive issues that impact Ohioans, and unfortunately, Amy Acton has been hiding from those issues. She won’t debate me,” Ramaswamy said, as reported by ABC 6.

Despite the backlash, Ramaswamy shared a thread from MAGA commentator Megyn Kelly, who listed a series of accusations against Acton, including stating she “will not allow cameras at any of her campaign events.”

While Acton allows photos to be taken at her campaign events, they have previously prohibited video and audio to be recorded. The Statehouse News Bureau said Acton called the decision a matter of security, following a man who lunged at her at a fair in Ohio last month and was allegedly recording her on his phone.

“The fact that she’s hiding from debate, hiding from questions, & bans cameras at her events should tell you something,” Ramaswamy posted on X. “It’s beyond bizarre,” he added, while being subsequently roasted in the comments section.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Ramaswamy’s team for comment.

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