The Ramaswamy Ad: Media Bias (And Republican Cowardice) At Its Worst

 Issues & Insights

  Acton's was "a pretty heinous charge. But when Politifact, a liberal “fact checking” site, looked into it, they concluded that Acton’s claims were “mostly false,” which, given Politifact’s ideological bent, means “completely false.” 

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"Chances are you have heard plenty about the supposedly over-the-line ad from Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy that consists of a videotaped statement from his opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother.

"But how many know that the Democratic Acton had previously smeared Vivek’s mother? We didn’t, until yesterday.

"In the Ramaswamy ad, Acton’s mother says, “I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent, it’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent — none of that is true. She’s lied her entire life.”

Acton’s brother called it “a desperate, disgusting attack [that] reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core: a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants.”

And then a chorus of criticism erupted. Turns out Acton’s mother lost custody of her and her brother after Acton’s stepfather was indicted in 1978 for sexually abusing Acton. So there’s that.

Whatever you think of the ad – and we will admit it’s unseemly – it’s hardly a new low in politics, or the first time a family member has been dragged into a political fight.

As a matter of fact, Acton herself did just that. Only in this case, she didn’t just quote Ramaswamy’s mother. She accused his mother of committing fraud.

Here’s the headline from a press release issued by Acton’s campaign on Aug. 12. “Billionaire Scammer Ramaswamy Used Mother to Manipulate Clinical Trials in ‘Pump and Dump’ Scheme to Make Millions.”

The release goes on to state that “Vivek Ramaswamy will do anything, including shamelessly profiting off Alzheimer’s patients and getting his own mother to manipulate clinical trial data, to make a buck.”