Backstory to GOP ad stuns CNN host: 'Almost as surprising as the ad itself'

CNN's John Berman was taken aback Wednesday by new reporting on a Republican attack ad that has drawn condemnation from both parties.

The campaign of Ohio GOP gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy is reportedly spending $4 million to air a commercial featuring the biological mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton.

Acton has been estranged from her mother for decades. Her stepfather was accused of abuse and rape, and her mother sided with him over her daughter.

“It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar,” the mother says in the ad. “She’s lied her entire life. … Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor.”

Berman noted that Acton’s stepfather was indicted and fled the state before trial, and that the mother “went with him.”

“This ad is shocking political professionals on both sides of the aisle,” Berman said. He cited former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a Republican, who said of Ramaswamy, “He’s a bad guy. It’s a shame he continues to get away with it.”

Ramaswamy defended the ad overnight, calling Acton “serially dishonest.” Acton’s campaign answered with a video in which her brother describes the abuse she suffered for years.

Alex Isenstadt, a senior political reporter for Axios, broke the news of the $4 million buy, saying the Ramaswamy campaign chose to “double down” as the backlash grew.

“The campaign decided that it was going to … spend $4 million to air it statewide, both on streaming and regular TV platforms alike,” Isenstadt said. “People across Ohio are going to be seeing this ad.”

Isenstadt said the ad first leaked Monday evening through screenshots from an online testing platform the campaign had used to gauge voters’ reactions. The campaign told Axios the responses were “overwhelmingly positive.”

“What they’re basically saying is, we don’t believe the backlash we’re seeing online,” Isenstadt said. “We believe it’s moving voters in our direction and that it’s tested well.”

Berman noted that some Republicans had even apologized for sharing the ad once they learned the context behind it.

“Your reporting last night,” Berman told Isenstadt, “was almost as surprising to me as the ad itself.”

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