On October 22, 2026, Trump publicly endorsed a Vivek Ramaswamy campaign ad in the Ohio governor's race that features Democratic candidate Amy Acton's estranged birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling her “a liar” and insinuating she has mental health problems. Acton, Ohio's pandemic-era health director, has spoken openly about homelessness and abuse as a child. According to the AP, Arthur lost custody of her children after her husband, Acton's stepfather, was indicted on a rape charge involving Acton; the alleged abuse ran from December 1976 to April 1978, he skipped a court appearance and became a fugitive, and Arthur stayed married to him until his death in 2004.
On Truth Social Trump praised the “very powerful ad,” called Arthur brave, and wrote, “Who wouldn't use such an Ad? I would, it's called, 'hitting pay dirt.'” He said he only wished the “mothers of my opponents would be so brave as to come forward and explain that their son or daughter is a liar, and much worse.” He attacked Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who had urged the campaign to pull the ad, as “our RINO Governor of Ohio” who “was, as usual, disloyal to the Republican Party” and “probably wants a Dumocrat to win.” Asked by CBS News on the South Lawn why anyone should listen to the mother given the backstory, Trump said, “Well I know nothing about it. All I know is the mother said very bad things about Acton.” He told the AP Acton is “fair game.” At a Sioux City, Iowa rally that night he said he had told Ramaswamy, “you gotta ride with it,” and, “Leave it up, and look upstairs and say, 'Thank you God, very much.'”
The ad had drawn unusual Republican criticism. DeWine said, “It's wrong to run this ad,” and, “I would urge Ramaswamy's campaign to take this down.” Iowa Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson told ABC News Ramaswamy should take it down. Sen. Jon Husted said he “would not have run that ad,” and former Sen. Rob Portman, Rep. Nancy Mace and others also objected, CBS and ABC reported. Vice President Vance, by contrast, said on October 21 he was “a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America.” The Ramaswamy campaign said, “We refuse to accept the media's double standards.”