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In the advertisement, Donna Arthur, ActonâÂÂs mother, disputes her daughterâÂÂs account of a childhood involving homelessness and â â sexual abuse by her stepfather, urging Ohioans not to vote for her.
Acton says she has not seen her mother since 1978. ActonâÂÂs brother has supported her account of being sexually abused by her stepfather when she was a child. The stepfather, who died in 2004, was charged with rape.
âÂÂAnybody whose mother spoke about a daughter in that way would normally lead to the daughter being precluded from serving in office,â Trump said.
The US president also attacked Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who advised Ramaswamy to take down the advertisement, labelling him âÂÂdisloyalâ to the Republican party.
âÂÂItâÂÂs wrongâÂÂ
At a gathering with reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, DeWine recalled the painful experiences of rape victims he dealt with as a county prosecutor and state attorney general.
Vice President JD Vance, campaigning on Wednesday with Ramaswamy â â and US Senator Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican, had brushed aside â â the blowback.
Opinion polls suggest Acton is narrowly leading Ramaswamy in a tight race to replace the term-limited DeWine.