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what → sign → Hill
President Donald Trump doubled down on defending a brutal ad run by Ohio gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign that starred Democratic rival Amy Acton's estranged mother.
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that → double → mother
'Well, I know nothing about it,' he swore before arguing that the ad was fair game.
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ad → know → it
He suggested the media would have been all over the story had his mother bad-mouthed the President.
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mother → suggest → President
'I'm defending it because I know that if that ad were about my mother, you would love it.
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you → defend → it
You would love every inch of it,' Trump said.
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Trump → love → it
Ramaswamy has attracted bipartisan criticism for running a spot featuring Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, who remained married to the candidate's stepfather after he was charged with sexually abusing the Democrat as a child.
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he → attract → child
Acton and her brother were removed from Arthur's custody, and Acton has been estranged from her mother since age 12.
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Acton → remove → age
In the ad, Arthur called her daughter a 'liar' and claimed that she 'lies about her past,' including that 'she grew up living in a tent.'
Arthur then implored Ohio voters not to vote for Acton.
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Arthur → call → Acton
President Donald Trump doubled down on defending a controversial campaign ad run by GOP Ohio gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy during a gaggle with reporters Thursday afternoon
Ohio GOP gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy's (left) campaign ran an ad featuring Democrat Amy Acton's estranged mother Donna Arthur (right), who stayed married to Acton's stepfather after he was charged with sexually abusing Acton as a child
On the South Lawn, Trump was asked why voters should listen to someone who hasn't spoken to her daughter in nearly 50 years.
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who → double → years
'All I know is the mother said very bad things about Acton, who I guess is running for governor against Vivek.
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I → know → Vivek
And all I can say is Vivek is great,' Trump answered.
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Trump → say → ?
'And I know one thing: if my mother said bad things about me, it would be a major news story, that's for sure.'
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that → know → me
He argued that if Acton's mother said bad things about her, 'I think you have to take that seriously.'
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you → argue → that
Trump again brought up Mary MacLeod Trump when asked if anything in politics should be off limits.
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anything → bring → limits
'I know one thing: if my mother said that about me, it would be - you would have hit goals,' he told reporters.
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he → know → reporters
'So I know nothing about it other than the mother said horrible things about a person that's running for governor of a great state, right?
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that → know → state
And if it's even a little bit true, you don't want her as governor,' the President offered.
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President → want → governor
He also charged that the media was in cahoots with Acton's campaign, which was why Ramaswamy was getting criticized for it.
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Ramaswamy → charge → it
'The only problem is the press has decided to unify and act like it's a horrible thing,' Trump argued.
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Trump → decide → ?
Ohio Democratic gubernatorial hopeful, Dr. Amy Acton, has pulled ahead of Vivek Ramaswamy in most polls, as Democrats try to pull Ohio back into the swing state category
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Democrats → pull → state
He had made a similar argument in a Truth Social post earlier Thursday afternoon.
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He → make → post
There he complained about Ohio's current Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who had told the Associated Press that he found the spot 'deeply, deeply troubling.
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spot → complain → Press
'
'He probably wants a Dumocrat to win, and certainly doesn’t want someone who will do a much better job than he is capable of doing,' Trump grumbled about DeWine, who has previously broken with the President on several issues.
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who → want → issues
Ohio has been firmly in the Republican column since Trump first won in 2016, but Democrats this cycle appear to be getting it closer to bringing it back to swing state status.
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it → win → status
The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Acton 3.6 percent ahead of Ramaswamy, who ran against Trump for President in the 2024 primary, before swiftly endorsing him after the Iowa caucuses.
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who → show → caucuses
In the Senate race, former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown - who lost his seat 2024 - has pulled ahead of Republican Senator Jon Husted in most polls.
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who → lose → polls
The President will return to the state on Wednesday for another rally in Chillicothe.
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President → return → Chillicothe
The Aporia
