Haley Says Ramaswamy’s Ugly Ohio Ad Proves Her Point: He’s A Bad Guy
India-West News Desk
COLUMBUS, OH – Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley criticized Vivek Ramaswamy, accusing the Ohio MAGA gubernatorial candidate of demonstrating the same willingness to use personal attacks that marked their bitter rivalry during the 2024 presidential primaries.
Haley’s comments followed bipartisan backlash over a Ramaswamy campaign advertisement featuring Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. In the ad, Arthur calls her daughter a “liar” and urges Ohio voters not to elect her.
“What we tried to tell everyone back then,” Haley wrote on X October 21, responding to criticism of the advertisement. “He’s a bad guy. It’s a shame he continues to get away with it.”
The dispute has revived Ramaswamy’s well known confrontational style during the Republican presidential primary, when he repeatedly targeted Haley and other rivals with personal jabs, prompting accusations that he was crossing the line between political criticism and attacks on candidates’ families.
During a November 2023 debate, Ramaswamy criticized Haley for joining TikTok, pointing out that her daughter also used the platform as concerns mounted over its Chinese ownership.
“Leave my daughter out of your voice,” Haley responded. “You’re just scum.”
The exchange became one of the defining confrontations between the two candidates. Ramaswamy also mocked Haley’s intelligence during debates and questioned her record in the Trump administration, while at another point displaying a sign reading “Nikki=Corrupt.”
Haley’s latest criticism comes as Ramaswamy faces mounting condemnation over his decision to feature Acton’s mother in the Ohio governor’s race, where the Republican is challenging a Democrat who has spoken publicly about childhood abuse and neglect.
According to Forbes, Acton and her brother, Philip Stearns, were removed from their mother’s custody after their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was charged with sexually abusing Acton when she was a child. Arthur pleaded not guilty to the charge, was indicted by a grand jury in 1978 and failed to appear for a court hearing. He remained a fugitive for years and died in 2004.
Stearns condemned Ramaswamy for using their estranged mother in a political attack. “Our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died,” Stearns said in a statement released by Acton’s campaign, adding that the advertisement sought to turn the abuse his sister endured into a political talking point.
Acton, speaking to Spectrum News October 20, described Ramaswamy’s approach as part of a “lifelong pattern,” drawing a direct connection to his attacks on Haley’s daughter during the presidential campaign.
The latest confrontation also comes as Acton has gained ground in polling. A Marist poll released October 19 showed her leading Ramaswamy 50 percent to 43 percent among likely Ohio voters.
