Trump INEXPLICABLY defends the most disturbing Republican ad imaginable

At 2:38 in the afternoon, Donald Trump shared a Truth Social post praising an ad that used Dr. Amy Acton’s estranged mother to attack her own daughter. He called a childhood abuse survivor “defective,” described the ad as “very powerful,” and said it should win awards. Hours later, on the White House South Lawn, reporters asked him about the abuse Acton survived and the mother who stayed married to the man charged with raping her. His answer: “Well, I know nothing about it.” I woke up sick to my stomach over this ad, and watching the president endorse it made the day even worse. Based on the events of 10-22-2026 The Breakdown: • Trump’s 2:38 PM Truth Social post praising an attack ad against Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton • Acton’s estranged mother calling her daughter a liar, after losing custody of her at age twelve due to severe abuse and neglect • Acton’s record as a physician and former state health director, and the childhood trauma she has discussed openly for years • Acton’s response: “I won’t normalize somebody who says my childhood is something I’m just complaining about.” • Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign initially refusing to confirm responsibility for the ad before he acknowledged it at a Tuesday town hall • Ramaswamy saying he had never met Acton or her mother, while his campaign plans to spend four million dollars promoting the ad • Philip Stearns defending his sister and condemning the use of her childhood abuse as a political talking point • Trump calling the ad’s mother courageous and telling Ramaswamy to “keep it up” • Trump suggesting the ad should win awards and comparing the situation to what would happen if his own mother criticized him • His attack on Governor Mike DeWine for urging that the ad be taken down • Trump’s own description of using the ad: “hitting pay dirt” • Weijia Jiang confronting Trump on the South Lawn with Acton’s backstory and asking why anyone should listen to her estranged mother • Trump defending the ad while repeatedly saying he knew nothing about it • The two troubling possibilities: endorsing the attack without learning the facts, or claiming ignorance to avoid accountability • JD Vance telling critics to “stop whining,” while DeWine, Jon Husted, Nikki Haley, and Nancy Mace criticize the ad • Acton continuing to campaign through a painful week, speaking about the neglect and abuse she and her brother experienced • With twelve days until the midterms, refusing to normalize this cruelty and making sure our friends, families, and neighbors vote This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.