共和党评论员斯科特·詹宁斯抨击俄亥俄州州长候选人维韦克·拉马斯瓦米（共和党人）使用一则有争议的竞选广告，该广告中出现了其对手的疏远母亲。拉马斯瓦米的竞选团队目前正花费400万美元在全州范围内播放这则广告。广告中，民主党州长候选人埃米·阿克顿的母亲唐娜·阿瑟指责阿克顿一生都是“说谎者”。阿克顿在12岁时被剥夺了母亲的监护权，此前她的继父被指控性侵犯她。
Republican commentator Scott Jennings took a swipe at Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (R) for using a controversial campaign ad featuring his opponent’s estranged mother. The ad, which Ramaswamy’s campaign is now spending $4 million to broadcast statewide, features Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, accusing Acton of being a “liar” her whole life. Acton was removed from her mother’s custody at age 12 after her stepfather was charged with sexually abusing her.
阿瑟一直与阿克顿的继父在一起，直到他去世。阿克顿竞选团队分享给《国会山报》的法律文件显示，阿瑟此前曾因盗窃和虐待动物被定罪，尽管其中一项判决已被撤销。詹宁斯是特朗普的盟友，经常在CNN上为总统和共和党辩护，他加入了越来越多反对该广告的共和党人行列。这位保守派政治评论员周五在CNN的安德森·库珀节目中表示，该广告在道德上“不好”，是政治上的失误。
Arthur remained with Acton’s stepfather until his death. According to legal filings Acton’s campaign shared with The Hill, Arthur was previously convicted with theft and animal cruelty, though one of her sentences was vacated. Jennings, a Trump ally who frequently defends the president and the GOP on CNN, joins a growing list of Republicans pushing back against the ad. The conservative political commentator told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Friday that the ad is “not good” morally and is a political misstep.
“你在这里谈论的基本上是，埃米·阿克顿的母亲在说，‘我不信任12岁的埃米·阿克顿，她很可能在我自己的家里被强奸，却能当州长，’”詹宁斯说。“这是他们提出的一种荒谬的论点。”“这可能是你所能想象到的最糟糕的政治，它正在给埃米·阿克顿的故事、她的叙事带来大量关注，”他补充道。拉马斯瓦米对该广告不予退让，指责阿克顿“撒谎，说一个关于撒谎的广告是撒谎”。
“What you’re talking about here is Amy Acton’s mother is basically saying, ‘I don’t trust 12-year-old Amy Acton, who was quite possibly raped in my own home, to be governor,’” Jennings said. “It’s a ludicrous sort of argument that they’re making.”“This is probably the worst politics you could imagine, and it’s bringing a lot of attention to Amy Acton’s story, her narrative,” he added. Ramaswamy has doubled down on the ad, accusing Acton of “lying about an ad that is about lying.”
特朗普总统和万斯副总统一再为这位俄亥俄州共和党人辩护，万斯表示，他对本党中批评使用该广告的人感到“厌恶”。特朗普继续表示他信任阿克顿的母亲，并在周五白宫对记者说，他对“继父”一事“一无所知”，并对提问的记者说“安静点”。“维韦克应该继续这样做，”总统周四在Truth Social上发帖写道。
President Trump and Vice President Vance have repeatedly defended the Ohio Republican, with Vance saying he was “disgusted” by those in his party who criticized use of the ad. Trump continues to say that he trusts Acton’s mother, and told reporters at the White House Friday that he did not “know anything about a stepfather,” telling the reporter who asked the question to be “quiet.”“Vivek should keep it up,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday.
詹宁斯表示，白宫“绝对”可以向总统通报阿克顿的说法。“我不知道他知道什么，不知道什么，”詹宁斯说。“他们绝对可以[向他通报]，如果他们这么做了，他就会了解这件事的可怕细节。”民调显示，阿克顿在州长竞选中的领先优势在丑闻曝光前就已经在扩大，非党派选情预测机构“决策台总部”给阿克顿击败拉马斯瓦米的胜算评为62%。
Jennings said the White House “absolutely” could brief the president on Acton’s side of the story. ”I don't know what he knows or what he doesn't know,” Jennings said. “They absolutely could [brief him], and if they did, he would learn the terrible details of this.”Polling suggests Acton’s lead in the gubernatorial race was already growing ahead of the scandal, and nonpartisan election forecaster Decision Desk HQ gives Acton a 62 percent chance of beating Ramaswamy.
詹宁斯说，这则广告可能会适得其反，因为它无助于提升这位前总统候选人的亲和力，而这位CNN评论员表示，亲和力是他在本次选举中面临的最大挑战之一。“拉马斯瓦米的一个关键候选人短板是亲和力。不确定这能在这方面有任何帮助，”詹宁斯说。“这在‘24年总统初选中就是他的问题，在今年的州长竞选中依然是他的问题。”
Jennings said the ad could have backfired because it does not help the former presidential candidate’s likability, which the CNN commentator said is one of his biggest challenges in this election. “One of Ramaswamy's key candidate deficiencies is likability. Not certain this is doing anything to help that,” Jennings said. “It was a problem for him in the ‘24 presidential primary, and it's a problem for him in this governor's race.”