Trump heads to Ohio as Ramaswamy attack ad reportedly backfires on GOP

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Oct 28, 2026

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President Donald Trump on Wednesday headed to Ohio to boost Republican candidates as the ugly attack ad from gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is reportedly backfiring on the GOP ticket.

With just days before Election Day, Trump is continuing his strategy of barnstorming through red states in hopes of bolstering endangered Republicans like Sen. John Husted, R-Ohio, who faces a strong challenge from Democratic ex-Sen. Sherrod Brown.

The midterm elections in Ohio have been roiled by Ramaswamy’s decision to bankroll an ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton.

The elderly mom called Acton a lifelong liar in the ad but didn’t mention the fact that state authorities removed Acton, then 12, and her brother from her custody after Acton’s stepfather was charged with raping her.

A new internal Republican poll obtained by Axios reveals the ad is backfiring badly on Ramaswamy, with Acton’s lead growing from 2% to 8% after its release.

By a 2-1 margin, voters said the poll made them more likely to vote for Acton and less likely to choose Ramaswamy, a strong ally of Trump who has also backed the ad.

GOP operatives are panicking over the bad polls in the home stretch of the race, with one noting that “Vivek’s ad put the whole Republican ticket on defense,” Axios reported.

Husted, who was appointed to fill a seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance, is one of several Republican incumbents who is trailing in polls as Democrats seek to flip the four GOP-held seats they need to win control of the Senate.

In more bad news for Republicans, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, is also considered in serious danger of losing his House seat in a Republican-leaning district amid an ugly divorce and custody battle with his ex-wife who is also the daughter of fellow GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno.

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