Trump turns the GOP’s Ramaswamy ad headache into a migraine

President Donald Trump is pressing Republicans to stand behind a campaign ad from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, even though many in the party find it distasteful and politically risky. CNN reports that the spot features the estranged mother of Democratic opponent Amy Acton accusing her daughter of lying. Acton has said the two have been apart since she was 12, when custody was lost and her mother's husband was indicted over alleged abuse of Acton.

At an Iowa rally on Thursday, Trump said Ramaswamy phoned to ask whether to pull the ad and that he advised keeping it up. Earlier, he praised the mother's "courage" online and called Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a critic of the ad, disloyal to the party. Trump said he knew nothing about the family history but argued the mother deserves to be taken seriously.

Beyond Ohio, Iowa Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson told ABC News the ad was terrible because it forces Acton to relive trauma. Sen. Jon Husted has also spoken against it. Ramaswamy trails by about five points in recent polling averages, less than two weeks before the election.

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