# Vance tells Republicans to stop complaining about Ramaswamy ad

> Vice President JD Vance defends Ohio Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial attack ad featuring his opponent's estranged mother, telling fellow Republicans to focus on winning rather than criticizing the campaign.
- Title: Vance tells Republicans to stop complaining about Ramaswamy ad
- Summary: Vice President JD Vance defends Ohio Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial attack ad featuring his opponent's estranged mother, telling fellow…
- Keywords: breaking, jd vance, vivek ramaswamy, amy acton, ohio gubernatorial race, attack ad, 2026 election, politics, news, Vance, tells, Republicans
- Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/vance-republicans-stop-whining-vivek-ramaswamy-attack-ad-amy-acton-rcna604817
- Author: Megan Brand
- Published: 2026-10-21T17:51:39.279+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: breaking, jd vance, vivek ramaswamy, amy acton, ohio gubernatorial race, attack ad, 2026 election, politics, news
## Vance defends controversial ad
Vice President JD Vance told Republicans to stop complaining about Vivek Ramaswamy's attack ad and focus on winning the Ohio gubernatorial race in thirteen days.

> stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days
## What the ad contains
Ramaswamy's ad features Amy Acton's estranged mother calling her daughter a liar and urging Ohioans not to vote for her. Acton previously recounted being sexually abused by her mother's husband as a child.
## Acton's family history
Acton said in a two thousand nineteen interview with The Youngstown Vindicator that she had not seen her mother since a hearing in the nineteen seventy-eight court case against her stepfather.
## Brother's account
Acton's brother said on Tuesday that their birth mother stayed married to Amy's rapist until he died. He and his sister were removed from their mother and stepfather's custody after the stepfather was arrested.
## Conservative criticism
Conservative commentator Meghan McCain said the ad was dastardly and never should have been created. An aide for Senator Mike Lee deleted his post sharing the video after researching the disturbing allegations.

> dastardly
## Vance dismisses concerns
Vance said whether the ad was appropriate is not his concern. He criticized Republicans for complaining more about the advertisement than about what congressional Democrats want to do to America.

> I'm a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement
## Vance's campaign rally
At an Ohio rally Wednesday afternoon, Vance said Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a television commercial calling Amy Acton a liar. He urged Republicans to focus on substance and facts rather than advertisements.

> Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar
## Ramaswamy's campaign plans
Ramaswamy's team is planning a four million dollar statewide advertising push around the ad. Several members of Ramaswamy's campaign previously worked on Vance's political team.
## Acton's brother responds
Philip Stearns slammed Ramaswamy for stooping to a despicable low by attempting to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old into a political talking point.

> 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 12 years old from our birth mother's husband into a political talking point
## Key takeaway

Vice President JD Vance defended Vivek Ramaswamy's attack ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, telling Republicans to stop complaining and focus on winning the Ohio gubernatorial race in thirteen days.