Vice President Vance took aim at members of his own party Wednesday, saying he is “disgusted” by Republicans who have pushed back on a controversial campaign ad from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Speaking at a fraud task force press conference, the vice president argued that GOP critics have their priorities backward.
“I have to admit that I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America,” Vance said.
The ad features the mother of Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. In the video, the mother calls Acton a “liar” and says “my daughter needs help.”
Hours after the ad surfaced, Acton’s brother fired back with a statement and a competing video of his own. He said that he and Acton have been estranged from their mother for years because she remained married to the man who sexually abused Acton when she was young. Acton was removed from her mother’s care at age 12, a detail the Ramaswamy ad does not mention.
The personal nature of the spot quickly sparked controversy. Democrats and some Republicans condemned the ad and urged Ramaswamy to change course. On Tuesday, Ramaswamy admitted the ad came from his campaign.
Rather than backing down, the Ramaswamy campaign appears to be doubling down. Axios reported Tuesday that the campaign will spend $4 million to air the ad statewide.
The stakes in the race are high. Acton is in a competitive contest for Ohio governor, but her lead has grown in recent polls. Decision Desk HQ, a partner of The Hill, gives Acton a 60 percent chance of defeating Ramaswamy.
Vance, who previously represented Ohio in the Senate, made clear Wednesday that the ad itself is not what keeps him up at night. His focus, he said, is on Republicans winning in the Buckeye State.
“Whether the ad was appropriate or not is not really my concern,” Vance said. “What is my concern is who is going to govern the next generation of American government, who is going to win the Senate race in the state of Ohio, who is going to win the governor’s race in the state of Ohio?”
The vice president framed the dust-up as a distraction from the larger battle with Democrats, suggesting that Republicans who spend their energy criticizing a fellow GOP candidate’s messaging are missing the bigger picture.
He also delivered a blunt reminder to his colleagues about the realities of campaigning.
“Politics is a tough business,” Vance said.
And he closed with a pointed challenge to Republicans who have voiced objections to the spot.
“My message to my fellow elected Republicans is if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days,” Vance said.
With less than two weeks until Election Day, Vance’s comments signal that the White House is prioritizing victory in Ohio over intraparty concerns about tone, even as the Ramaswamy campaign prepares to put millions of dollars behind the very ad drawing fire from within the GOP.
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