Photo: Getty Images
Former President Barack Obama criticized Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over a campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, questioning the candidate’s willingness to use her painful childhood experiences in a political attack.
Obama addressed the matter Saturday (October 24) at a campaign rally in Cleveland, where he appeared alongside Acton and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown.
“We all know that guy. You know, who’s just like thirsty, who wants to get attention no matter what. Willing to do anything,” Obama said of Ramaswamy in a video of his remarks. “And in recent days we’ve seen there is no line he will not cross.”
Obama also questioned the standards of conduct expected of elected officials.
“There’s a decency that we should expect out of our public officials. And I don’t know what’s happened where the standards of behavior have gotten so low that somebody can run an ad like that,” he said.
“There’s gotta be something inside you where you just say, ‘You know, no office is worth stooping that low.’”
The ad features Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter a liar and accusing her of misrepresenting her past. Ramaswamy’s campaign confirmed it produced the ad and planned to spend $4 million promoting it, The Washington Post reported.
Acton has said she was removed from her mother’s custody at age 12 after experiencing abuse and neglect. Her stepfather was indicted on a charge of raping her when she was a child but fled before trial and was never convicted, according to CBS News.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, called the advertisement “deeply, deeply troubling,” NBC News reported. However, he maintained his endorsement of Ramaswamy, saying he continued to support the entire Republican ticket.
President Donald Trump rebuked DeWine in a Truth Social post Thursday (October 22), calling the ad “very powerful” and criticizing the governor for speaking out against it.
Acton accused her opponent of exploiting her childhood to advance his campaign.
“My opponent has chosen to exploit, intentionally, my childhood to save his stumbling campaign, but it’s not going to work,” she said at Saturday’s rally, according to CBS News. “Decency still matters.”
Ohio voters will decide the gubernatorial race on November 3.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.