# Trump Tells Iowa Rally Crowd He Encouraged Ramaswamy to Keep Running Controversial Ad
The Guardian
President Donald Trump told an Iowa rally crowd on Saturday that he encouraged Ohio GOP gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy to keep running a campaign ad featuring his opponent Amy Acton's estranged mother, a move that drew sharp criticism from some Republicans, including the state's Senate candidate.
The ad, which depicted Acton's mother in a deeply troubling context, had already drawn backlash earlier in the day when Iowa Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson denounced it. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine had also called on Ramasamy to remove the advertisement, which features his Democratic opponent's estranged mother.
Trump's remarks at the Iowa rally came amid his broader effort to rally the party base ahead of the midterm elections. The Ohio governor's push for Ramasamy to drop the ad highlighted growing tension within the GOP over the campaign's messaging strategy.
Meanwhile, top election forecasters have shifted their assessments of the Ohio race, with one now describing it as favorable to Democrats after previously rating it as a tossup — underscoring the volatility of key swing-state contests heading into the midterms.
