‘Keep it up’: Trump backs Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial ad targeting his Ohio rival Amy Acton

Trump backs Ramaswamy's ad: United States President Donald Trump has backed Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, over a controversial campaign advertisement targeting his Democratic rival Amy Acton, even as the state's Republican governor advised Ramaswamy to take it down.

While not referring directly to the abuse allegations, Trump said: “let everyone listen to the ⁠mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate, explain how the daughter is a DISASTER who, uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals!"

Analysts say controversy could backfire on Republicans

Acton says she has not seen her mother since 1978. Acton's brother has supported her account of being sexually abused by her stepfather when she was a child. The stepfather, who died in 2004, was charged with rape, the Reuters report said.

Opinion polls show Acton narrowly leading Ramaswamy, and analysts say the controversy could backfire on Republicans ahead of the November 3 midterms, the report added.

'IT'S JUST WRONG,' REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SAYS Commenting on the ad, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, told reporters on Thursday: "It’s just wrong,” adding he would urge the Ramaswamy campaign to take down the ad.

Ramaswamy's campaign spokesperson issued statement

As ‌the backlash ⁠built on Tuesday, Ramaswamy's campaign spokesperson Connie Luck issued a statement saying: "We don't know what happened between Amy and her mother ... but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist."

Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, called the ad a “desperate, disgusting attack,” while Acton campaign spokesperson Addie Bullock called Ramaswamy's decision to promote it “both despicable and entirely predictable.”

Vice President JD Vance, campaigning on ⁠Wednesday with Ramaswamy and US Senator Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican, had brushed aside the blowback. Ramaswamy’s campaign said it was spending USD 4 million to promote the ad.

David Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron, characterized the ad as "campaign malpractice.”

Cohen ⁠said it could also mean trouble for Husted, who said in a statement that he would "not have run that ad" and who polls show trailing Democrat Sherrod Brown in a race that will help determine control ⁠of the US Senate, the Reuters report said.

Among Republicans, Cohen predicted, "I think this will either encourage some people to switch parties, or more likely, you're going to have a lot of people staying home" on Election Day.

(With inputs from Reuters)