Obama Condemns Ramaswamy Ad and Trump Policies at Ohio Rally

Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Ohio Democrats on October 24, 2026, criticizing Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over an advertisement featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton. Speaking in Cleveland, Obama also challenged President Donald Trump's economic record and urged voters to hold Republicans accountable in the November 3 midterm elections.

The rally at Cleveland Public Auditorium brought Obama together with Acton and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted. The event formed part of a broader Democratic campaign effort across Midwestern battlegrounds, where control of Congress and several competitive races are at stake.

Obama focused on an advertisement in which Acton's birth mother, Donna Arthur, calls her daughter a liar and questions her mental health. The controversy intensified after Ramaswamy continued defending the campaign advertisement, while Trump and Vice President JD Vance also supported it. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and other Ohio Republican leaders had called for the advertisement to be removed.

Obama condemned the campaign's treatment of Acton's childhood experiences, arguing that political candidates should maintain standards of conduct even during contentious elections.

"In recent days, we've seen there is no line he will not cross, no low he will not sink to," Obama said of Ramaswamy.

The former president referenced Acton's public accounts of childhood abuse, neglect and homelessness. He questioned the political climate that allowed such material to become part of a gubernatorial campaign.

"There's a decency we should expect out of our public officials," Obama said. "And I don't know what's happened where the standards of behavior are so low that somebody could run an ad like that."

Acton, a former Ohio public health director during the COVID-19 pandemic, said she and her brother experienced abuse and neglect while growing up. She said her mother lost custody of the children after their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was indicted on a rape charge involving Acton. The alleged abuse occurred between December 1976 and April 1978, according to CBS News.

Cledith Arthur later failed to appear in court and became a fugitive. Donna Arthur remained married to him until his death in 2004.

Acton told CBS News that the advertisement misrepresented a painful period of her life and emphasized that she had not seen her birth mother since she was 12 years old, when they were at a courthouse.

"I hope that everyone is seeing all the facts," Acton said. "The facts are: I was removed from custody from my mom. She was not well.

From even a very young age, my brother and I experienced a lot of abuse and neglect, even before my stepfather. But my stepfather was not a good person, and it got worse then. He was indicted in a grand jury.

He was a fugitive, and they left together. And she obviously decided to leave with him. There's a lot out there of what has happened to her since, but I have not seen her since I was 12 years old in a courthouse.

So this is a sad story."

She also argued that candidates should not have to endure personal attacks based on traumatic childhood experiences. Acton said those experiences had helped shape her resilience and were not unique to her alone.

"My opponent has chosen to exploit, intentionally, my childhood to save his stumbling campaign, but it's not going to work," Acton said at the rally. "Decency still matters."

Acton directly challenged Ramaswamy's judgment and accused him of prioritizing his own political interests over Ohio's welfare.

"Mr. Ramaswamy, you are not just out of touch, you are out for yourself and you are a danger to my state. Apparently there is no low to which you won't stoop," she said.

Trump defended the advertisement while voting early in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday. He argued that Arthur's criticism of her daughter supported the campaign's position.

"This is a disgrace," Trump said. "The mother said that Amy Acton is a liar and she's no good. And you know what? I don't think you can get a better reference on that."

Trump also said that similar criticism from his own mother would have been prominently featured if it existed. Ramaswamy maintained that the advertisement was a legitimate part of the campaign.

Beyond the Ohio gubernatorial contest, Obama criticized Trump's handling of consumer prices and his administration's priorities. The former president pointed to the president's focus on White House renovations, including plans for a ballroom and helipad, while voters continued to face economic pressures.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovation," Obama said. "He should be on HGTV."

Obama also mocked the extensive use of gold in the White House renovation plans, comparing the appearance to a restaurant designed by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"There's gold everywhere. He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory," Obama said.

He argued that the midterms would give voters an opportunity to respond to the administration's record, even though Trump would remain president for another two years.

"We're not stuck with a spineless Congress and Republican governors who are handling lawlessness and carelessness and cruelty and indifference for working people," Obama said.

He also criticized the administration's broader performance, repeating a message that he carried to Michigan later Saturday as he campaigned for Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

"After two years of chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence, the likes of which we have not seen in modern times, you get a chance to say enough is enough," Obama said in Cleveland.

In Michigan, Obama addressed Republican attacks on El-Sayed, who is running against former Rep. Mike Rogers. He compared the criticism of El-Sayed's name and background to the false claims about Obama's birthplace that circulated during his political career.

"We have seen this movie before. I starred in it. I got a long-form birth certificate to prove it," Obama said.

He argued that the attacks would not undermine El-Sayed's campaign, noting that the candidate was born and raised in the United States and had parents who worked in the auto industry.

Obama also criticized Trump's tariffs on Canada, saying the policies could harm Michigan's interconnected automotive industry. He questioned the administration's approach to trade with a longtime US ally.

"The weirdest thing is, he's the toughest when it comes to tariffs and trade wars on that well-known evil empire, Canada," Obama said. "These are the people who gave us Martin Short and maple syrup."

The Cleveland rally was Obama's first campaign appearance in Ohio during the 2026 midterm cycle. Afterward, he traveled to Detroit to campaign for El-Sayed, following a Democratic primary in which the candidate won by less than a percentage point. Obama was also scheduled to headline a campaign rally in Georgia the following week.