Trump rebukes DeWine over Ramaswamy campaign ad

Donald Trump rebuked Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, after DeWine said Thursday that gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was wrong to release an ad targeting Democratic rival Amy Acton. The ad featured Acton’s estranged mother.

DeWine asked Ramaswamy to remove the ad. Hours later, Trump took the opposite position, urging Ramaswamy to keep airing it and accusing the governor of disloyalty.

The video began circulating on social media earlier in the week, and Ramaswamy’s campaign subsequently acknowledged making it. The campaign said it would spend $4 million to broadcast the ad across the state.

In explaining his objection, DeWine said family members had historically been off limits in political campaigning.

DeWine nevertheless declined to withdraw his endorsement of Ramaswamy. He said he wanted to support the full slate of Republican candidates in the midterm elections.