MAGA Candidate Called Out to His Face Over Twisted Attack Ad

ABC6 Ohio’s Trump-endorsed candidate for governor has been confronted by a heckler infuriated by his campaign’s twisted attack ad.

The ad, which has now been confirmed by Axio s to have been funded by Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign, features the estranged mother of his Democratic rival Amy Acton, throwing her traumatic childhood into the spotlight.

Half of Ohio likely voters back Acton in the race for governor over Ramaswamy, 50 percent to 43 percent, according to a new Marist pol l .

In the 60-second ad, first obtained by The Rooster , Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, called the Democrat a “liar,” and warned voters her daughter has “a serious problem” and says she “needs help.” The ad was shared by Donald Trump Jr., who stated, “Yikes! Ohio watch this and think about what it means.” Acton alleged in a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday that “between the ages of 10 and 12, I was sexually abused by her husband, while my birth mother did nothing to protect me.” She added, “I’ve always known that she was deeply sick and unwell, and it’s sad to see Vivek Ramaswamy exploit her all for his own political gain.” Acton, 60, has been estranged from her mother since 1978, after her mother defended her stepfather in a court hearing where Acton testified against him.

Her stepfather was charged with rape and incited following a police report filed by her biological father, according to a newspaper report cited by The New York Times.

Acton’s stepfather fled the state and died in 2004 without being convicted.

During an appearance at a town hall in Westerville, Columbus on Tuesday, Ramaswamy was heckled over the alarming content of the ad, CNN reported .

Shortly after taking the stage, a man began shouting furiously, with Ramaswamy stating, “Sir, sir, excuse me, you’re going to leave this room if you’re gonna be...” The man kept yelling, referencing “Amy Acton’s mother” and shouting remarks, including, “She was 12 years old,” before a police officer escorted him out.

As he left, Ramaswamy addressed him again, saying “Sir, if you want to be patient and you want to ask a question at the end, you’re free to do that.” He added, “Thank you for your contribution today.” The heckler footage was shared by Ethan Lynne, a communications staffer from Acton’s team, who added the caption, “Vivek Ramaswamy’s first public appearance today didn’t go well.” The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Ramaswamy’s team for comment.

Despite the heckling, and criticism even from Republicans, Ramaswamy’s team are continuing to support the divisive video, which they have spent $4 million on as part of the campaign, according to Axios .

The controversial ad had tested well with “persuadable” voters, the report noted.