Former President Donald Trump issued a statement on Truth Social on Thursday defending a controversial campaign advertisement released by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The advertisement features the estranged mother of Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, and has become a point of contention within the Republican party.

Earlier on Thursday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine publicly called for the removal of the ad, suggesting that the use of a candidate's family member in such a manner was inappropriate for the campaign. Trump, however, rejected DeWine’s criticism, explicitly encouraging Ramaswamy to continue running the advertisement. In his post, Trump criticized Governor DeWine for his stance, framing the issue as a matter of campaign strategy and political toughness.

The advertisement has sparked a debate regarding the boundaries of political campaigning and the involvement of family members in electoral contests. While DeWine views the inclusion of Acton’s mother as crossing a line of decorum, Trump’s endorsement signals a preference for aggressive campaign tactics. As of now, the Ramaswamy campaign has not indicated whether it intends to pull the ad, and the disagreement between the former president and the current governor highlights a deepening divide within the Ohio Republican party regarding campaign conduct.