John Legend Rallies in Dayton for Acton as Ramaswamy Ad Using Her Mother Draws Criticism
Photo: The Guardian USSinger John Legend told a crowded Dayton, Ohio, rally on Monday night that Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy is "desperate," over an ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic nominee Amy Acton. In the ad, Donna Arthur calls her daughter a liar and urges Ohioans not to vote for her. Acton, a physician and former state health director, says she has not spoken to her mother since age 12, when her stepfather was arrested and charged with raping her. Court records and accounts say Arthur defended him, fled Ohio with him before trial, and stayed married to him until his death in 2004. Outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, called the ad "deeply, deeply troubling," and Sen. Jon Husted said he would not have run it. Vice President JD Vance told Republicans to "stop whining," and President Donald Trump said Ramaswamy was "hitting pay dirt" and rebuked DeWine. Zeteo reported that several Republicans close to the campaign warned the ad would backfire. Members of The National, Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner, are set to appear at a Cincinnati rally for Acton and Sherrod Brown on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Breitbart, the right-leaning outlet, treats the story as a Legend campaign appearance. It headlines a "last ditch" push, calls him a left-wing singer, and mocks his dancing. It quotes his attacks on Husted and Ramaswamy and says he "may have been citing" the ad. It mentions Trump's defense but omits the abuse case and DeWine's criticism. Mother Jones, on the left, covers the same rally but quotes Legend on siding with an abuser. It adds the Republican criticism and Vance's and Trump's responses. The Guardian's opinion column details the abuse allegations and calls the ad's argument false. Both sides report Legend's rally and Trump's backing. They differ on whether the ad's backstory and intra-party criticism appear. Zeteo's distinct angle is Republican warnings against the ad.
How the sides differ Right sources focus on Legend's rally remarks and call it a last-ditch push; left sources center the ad's abuse backstory and Republican criticism of it.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
- The Guardian USVivek Ramaswamy’s Amy Acton ad makes a false – and sickening – argument | Moira Donegan
Mother Jones leads with Legend's Dayton rally and Democrats' reaction, adding Republican criticism and Vance's and Trump's responses. The Guardian's opinion column details the abuse allegations against Acton's stepfather and argues the ad's logic is false.
Zeteo reports, citing unnamed people familiar, that Republicans warned Ramaswamy against the ad, including a Trump adviser. Stereogum covers The National's members joining Acton and Brown rallies and recaps the ad controversy and DeWine's criticism.
Breitbart centers on Legend's Dayton speech, quoting his attacks on Husted and Ramaswamy and describing his mannerisms. It mentions the ad only briefly, with Trump's defense, and omits the abuse background.