‘Just how low’ is the GOP willing to go, Nicolle Wallace asks after Vance defends Ohio ad

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, has called on Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign to pull an advertisement attacking Democratic opponent Amy Acton, even as Vice President JD Vance publicly backed it. MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace used Wednesday's "Deadline: White House" to condemn the spot and the Republicans standing behind it, calling it "despicable."

The video features Acton's estranged mother, who accuses her daughter of misrepresenting her childhood. At age 12, Acton gave grand jury testimony against her stepfather, who was later indicted on rape charges. He left Ohio and was never tried, and her mother stayed with him until he died in 2004.

Vance, a former Ohio senator, appeared at a campaign event for Ramaswamy, whom he counts as a friend. He said the backlash left him "disgusted" and dismissed GOP critics as whiners. DeWine did not withdraw his endorsement of Ramaswamy.

Wallace argued that Vance lent legitimacy to this kind of rhetoric by staying on the schedule rather than canceling. She described the episode as among the most disturbing stories she has covered in a decade and said that in a normal political climate, Vance's remarks would damage any presidential ambitions.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →