The MAGA acolyte acknowledged that he was essentially following Donald Trump’s combative political playbook.
The Daily Beast/Reuters/Getty
MAGA candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has launched another vile attack on his Democratic opponent, declaring her “crazy, unstable and dishonest” as the backlash over his controversial ad with his estranged mother enters a second week.
Appearing on Fox and friends On Monday, the Trump-backed Ohio gubernatorial candidate once again defended the ad against Amy Acton and acknowledged that he was essentially following Donald Trump’s combative political playbook.
Vivek turned to a friendly outlet to attack his opponent again.
“You never start a fight, but when you get into it, you finish it,” he said.
Ramaswamy’s tough words about not backing down come despite his campaign quietly editing the original 60-second version with a 30-second montage, dropping footage of Acton’s mother challenging his account of childhood homelessness.
Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton arrives for a rally ahead of the midterm elections in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., October 24, 2026. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
As the Daily Beast followed him on the campaign trail this weekend, he also admitted that he had never met Acton’s mother, but his campaign refused to explain why it didn’t bother to look into his claims before turning them into a political weapon.
The Republican nevertheless turned to MAGA supporters Fox and friends Monday morning to once again seek to undermine his opponent’s credentials for leadership in Ohio.
“We stand for the truth, and so the irony is that they are lying about an ad that was about her lying,” he said.
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“The fact is, I’m running against someone who is crazy, unstable and dishonest. And more importantly, they represent crazy, unstable and dishonest ideas. This is a fork in the road for Ohio’s future.”
Acton, 60, is a former state health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and helped oversee Ohio’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican candidate for governor of Ohio, speaks during a campaign stop at the Kick-N-Ax Throwing Bar during his 2026 Ohio Republican bus tour in Zanesville, Ohio, U.S., October 25, 2026. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
In a blow to Ramaswamy, Ohio’s largest newspaper, The Plain Dealer, endorsed her on Sunday, reversing its previous policy against supporting high-performing candidates.
Her editorial board said she showed she was prepared for the job through her public service and years of listening to Ohioans, while calling Ramaswamy’s announcement disqualifying.
“A candidate who uses childhood sexual abuse as a weapon against the person who suffered it has crossed a line that Ohioans should defend, regardless of party,” the board wrote.
The ongoing political fallout comes as the race enters its home stretch before Election Day on Nov. 3.
Recent polling suggests Acton has the edge, with a Fox News survey putting her ahead of Ramaswamy by 50 percent to 48 percent, while other polls have shown her leading by wider margins.
The contest remains closely watched as Republicans attempt to maintain an 11-point Donald Trump state in 2024.
Trump is scheduled to travel to Ohio on Wednesday, giving Ramaswamy a high-profile opportunity to rally Republican voters as the ad controversy threatens to overshadow the final days of his campaign.
The president will also try to increase the votes of Senate candidate Jon Husted, who is engaged in a tight race against Democrat and former Ohio senator Sherrod Brown.
Jon Husted and Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, October 12, 2026.
GOP insiders told The Daily Beast that Husted was facing an “enthusiasm deficit,” but it grew slightly after Trump came to Youngstown to rally behind him earlier this month. The president also began to crave the former college football player’s body, particularly his butt.
“But I looked at his butt, and then I looked at his legs,” Trump said at a rally in North Carolina. “I said, ‘It’s a…, shit…, it’s like, it’s like a bunch of muscles. Then I looked at his legs and I said, ‘Man, his feet are big.’ Then I looked at his shoulders and patted him on the shoulder, and it hurt my hand. He’s like a piece of steel. I said, “This guy is a monster!” »
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