President Donald Trump doubled down on his support for a controversial campaign ad Friday when pressed by a reporter.
Earlier this week, a mysterious video spread online featuring a woman who claimed to be the mother of Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton. In the video, the woman attacked Acton as a “liar” and urged Ohioans not to vote for her.
The woman was later confirmed to be Acton’s mother, whom Acton had been estranged from since she was 12 years old. Acton has claimed to have been abused by her stepfather, who was previously accused of molestation, when she was between 9 and 12. Acton’s mother and stepfather were criminally charged for abuse at a time when the family was living in a tent outside Youngstown.
Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy later admitted the ad was from his campaign, and Trump would later voice support for the controversial strategy.
On Friday, Trump was pressed further about his support for the ad.
“Now that you know the backstory about Amy Acton and her stepfather, [who] was indicted for rape, do you change your mind about the ad?” a reporter can be heard asking Trump.
“No. No, it's a mother speaking badly against Amy Acton, and to me it's very easy,” Trump said.
The reporter pressed further, noting that Acton’s “mother stood by after her husband had sexually assaulted —” before being interrupted by Trump.
“You don't know that, you don't know anything! Her mother went on television and said that the daughter, who's running for governor of Ohio, is a liar and a bad person, and that's all I know! Nobody knows anything,” Trump said.
“The mother looks like she's totally lucid, she looks very smart, actually, and she felt she had an obligation to Ohio voters to tell them that her daughter is a liar!”