Ohio Venues Cancel Vivek Ramaswamy Events Amid Attack Ad Backlash
Several Ohio venues cancel events for Vivek Ramaswamy following bipartisan outrage over his campaign’s attack ad.
Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
Vivek Ramaswamy’s Ohio gubernatorial campaign is encountering significant hurdles as multiple venues cancel his appearances amid fallout from a controversial attack advertisement. The ad, which aired last week, has sparked intense bipartisan criticism and led to the loss of endorsements and event cancellations across Ohio less than two weeks before Election Day.
Controversial Ad Sparks Bipartisan Backlash
The 30-second commercial features Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter a “liar” and urging Ohio voters not to support her. The ad has drawn harsh criticism for its focus on deeply personal family history. Acton has not spoken to Arthur in decades, and Arthur lost custody of her children after Acton’s father was indicted on charges of raping Acton, a case that was never prosecuted before his death after the couple fled the state.
Ramaswamy has defended the advertisement as “legitimate,” while President Donald Trump has publicly supported the campaign’s choice to air the ad, calling it “very powerful” in a Truth Social post. Trump criticized media coverage and Republican opponents who have called for the ad’s removal.
Venue Cancellations and Party Responses
The controversial ad has resulted in several Ohio venues canceling Ramaswamy’s scheduled appearances. On Friday, Old Dog Ale House & Brewery in Delaware canceled an event that was to feature Ramaswamy. Additionally, Elliot’s Wood Fired Kitchen in Newark withdrew from hosting his planned Tuesday event. The Ohio Republican Party has indicated plans to reschedule these appearances.
These cancellations underline growing discomfort within the GOP and the broader community. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and other Republicans have condemned the ad and called for it to be taken down. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential primary rival of Ramaswamy and former Trump UN ambassador, labeled him “a bad guy” and expressed disappointment that he “continues to get away with it.”
Editorial and Candidate Reactions Intensify
Ohio’s largest newspaper, The Plain Dealer, broke its longstanding policy of not endorsing candidates in major races to back Dr. Amy Acton. The editorial board denounced Ramaswamy’s ad for “weaponiz[ing] the sexual abuse his opponent, Amy Acton, suffered as a child.” The paper emphasized the responsibility of community institutions to take a stand against such tactics.
Acton herself has forcefully condemned the ad. She stated, “I won’t normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is just something I’m 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.” These comments underscore the personal impact of the campaign’s strategy.
Ramaswamy’s Campaign Attempts to Shift Focus
Despite the backlash, Ramaswamy’s campaign has maintained that the race should focus on substantive issues affecting Ohioans. Last week, he told reporters, “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.” On Monday, he further described Acton as “crazy, unstable and dishonest.”
With less than two weeks until the election, polls indicate a tight race, and the controversy surrounding the ad continues to shape the final stretch of the campaign.
As the political climate intensifies, Ramaswamy’s campaign faces mounting challenges in securing support amid growing criticism from across the political spectrum.
