Vivek Ramaswamy campaign ad for Ohio ‘shameful, disgusting’, says Republican congresswoman – US politics live

We’re also tracking the fallout over a controversial ad from Vivek Ramaswamy – the Republican gubernatorial nominee in Ohio – which featured the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton.

In the campaign spot her mother, Donna Arthur, was critical of Acton and called her a “liar”.

On Wednesday, Acton responded to the controversy and told a group of voters said Ramaswamy shouldn’t have “exploited” her mother.

A reminder that Acton and her brother were removed from their mother’s care when Acton was ۱۲, after their stepfather was arrested and charged for raping her. However Arthur remained married to her husband, and they fled the state.

Acton went on to describe the recent advert as “another sign of this time, where enough is enough … do anything, say anything just to get ahead. And I think Ohioans are smarter than that.”

Donald Trump will begin his day in Washington before traveling to Sioux City, Iowa, for another campaign rally, as part of his week-long midterm blitz.

He’ll stump for Ashley Hinson, the Republican congresswoman and nominee for the state’s open US Senate, who is trailing in the polls against her opponent, the Democratic state legislator Josh Turek.

The president will also campaign on behalf of Zach Lahn, a businessman and the GOP nominee for governor, who is facing a tough competition against the Democratic state auditor Rob Sand in November.

Iowa has become an unexpected battleground this midterm cycle, with voters particularly frustrated about the impact on the war in Iran – namely the high cost of fuel and fertiliser. Democrats are hoping for an upset in a state where they haven’t won a US Senate set since ۲۰۰۸.

Trump will take the stage at ۷pm ET, and we’ll bring you the latest lines.

New polls shows the super-tight race in Texas where Democratic candidate James Talarico is challenging Republican Ken Paxton in the US Senate race. Earlier this week, Talarico also won the endorsement of George W Bush’s brother.

New polling from Emerson College shows Talarico at ۴۸%, just in front of Paxton at ۴۶% – with about ۵% undecided.

Neil Bush, a son of former president George HW Bush and a lifelong Republican, announced on Tuesday that he crossed party lines to vote for Talarico.

In a Facebook post, Neil Bush said he chose to vote early for Talarico over Ken Paxton, the current Texas attorney general, because he was “deeply troubled” by Paxton’s conduct and was “enormously impressed” by Talarico’s principles.

As a moderate Republican, Neil Bush’s statement on the competitive Senate race in Texas reflects views from a faction of the party that often disagrees with Donald Trump while holding traditional conservative views.

I have been deeply troubled by Paxton’s conduct as Texas attorney general, particularly his decision to challenge the results of the ۲۰۲۰ presidential election in other states in an effort to help Donald Trump remain in power.

The former president’s son and brother of George W Bush expressed concern about Paxton’s past controversies, including Paxton’s ۲۰۲۳ Texas state legislature impeachment and acquittal, as well as Paxton’s loyalty to Trump.

I have been a Republican for most of my life, and I still believe deeply in many traditional Republican principles. But character matters more than party affiliation. Our democracy depends on leaders who respect our institutions, tell the truth, accept accountability, and seek to unite rather than divide.

Multiple protesters were removed from Donald Trump’s rally at South Carolina’s Clemson University on Wednesday, including one who was apparently punched by a rally attender – to the US president’s delight.

“That was great, man. Wow. Man, I loved that. I watched that,” Trump said. “That was incredible. Wow. That was unbelievable. Is everybody OK?

“Who’s the guy that threw that punch?” he continued. “You know, you reminded me of Evander, the real deal, Holyfield,” referring to the former heavyweight champion, who was also in attendance at the rally.

“You gotta give them credit. It takes courage to do that at a Trump rally,” he said. “He got whacked.”

The president was interrupted at least nine times by hecklers. One protester who was removed by security was followed by a rally attendee, who appeared to slap the demonstrator on the head.

Trump was in South Carolina to support Darline Graham, the sister of late senator Lindsey Graham who died suddenly in July from a heart condition. Graham, appointed to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, is facing Democratic challenger Annie Andrews in her bid for a full six-year term.

Responding to the ad on Wednesday, Amy Acton told a group of voters that her mother was not well and Ramaswamy shouldn’t have “exploited her”.

Earlier in the week, her brother had called Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad a “despicable low” in a statement released by Acton’s campaign:

It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point.

After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died. This desperate, disgusting attack 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.”

The ad, which had circulated among conservatives on social media, featured Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, urging Ohioans to not vote for her daughter.

The Ohio gubernatorial campaign between Acton and Ramaswamy is regarded as one of the uglier contests in the ۳ November midterm elections.

Acton has refused to debate Ramaswamy, who she has called a “chronic liar” and has also criticized him for airing an ad that features a woman married to a registered sex offender.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of US politics. We’re less than two weeks out from the midterm vote and the campaigns are getting even more nasty.

Condemnation continues of Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign in the Ohio governor race after his team put out an attack ad, featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic rival Amy Acton criticising her daughter and calling her a liar.

Acton’s campaign has called it a despicable ad after putting out the clarification that Acton was sexually abused by her stepfather and removed from her mother’s custody at age ۱۲.

Ramaswamy’s team, however, has dug in behind the ad, and were backed by JD Vance on Wednesday, who condemned Republican criticism. He said Ramaswamy “had the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls ​it out like it is”.

However, the South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace joined the chorus of Republican critics, saying:

This ad is going to go down as the most shameful, disgusting, offensive ad this election season.

She said she was stunned, adding:

I just can’t believe that this is what passes for decency in this election.

Stay with us for more developments.