Trump-backed Iowa candidate Ashley Hinson makes groveling pivot after calling out JD Vance over Ramaswamy ad

Trump-backed Iowa candidate Ashley Hinson makes groveling pivot after calling out JD Vance over Ramaswamy ad ‘I never called the VP ridiculous,’ Ashley Hinson wrote. ‘What’s ridiculous is the media’s characterization of his comments and of mine’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Ashley Hinson, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa, softened her stance on Vice President JD Vance after calling him out for defending a controversial political advertisement. The ad, released earlier this week by Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, features Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton's mother branding her daughter a “liar” and urging Ohio residents not to vote for her. Ramaswamy has faced intense backlash over the video due to the fact that Acton has not spoken to her mother, Donna Arthur, in decades. Arthur lost custody of her children after her husband, Cledith Arthur, was indicted for raping Acton. He was never prosecuted for the rape charge after the couple fled the state. Hinson, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, forcefully condemned the ad in an interview with ABC News Thursday. “It’s terrible,” she said. “I think about it as a mom, and you think about your kids surviving childhood sexual abuse and having to relive that trauma on TV again. I think it’s absolutely terrible, and I think they should take the ad down.” ABC News’ Jonathan Karl then asked Hinson, who currently represents Iowa in the House, about Vance’s comments defending Ramaswamy. At a press conference Wednesday, the vice president said he was “a little bit disgusted” over Republicans “whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America.” Hinson slammed Vance’s reaction. “It’s ridiculous, it’s absolutely the wrong tone,” she told ABC News. “Iowans want, and probably Ohioans want, someone who is gonna be an empathetic leader, and I think it sends absolutely the wrong message. Again, I think it’s wrong and it should come down.” But, hours later, she qualified her remarks in a post on X. “I never called the VP ridiculous,” she wrote. “What’s ridiculous is the media’s characterization of his comments and of mine.” “Yes, I believe this ad is ridiculous and needs to come down,” she added. “The VP and I disagree on one ad, but we agree on how to save our great country. I look forward to continuing to work with him and President Trump when I’m in the U.S. Senate.” A number of other Republicans have come out against the ad, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Acton's campaign has condemned the “platforming” of her “estranged and abusive mother” as a “despicable low.” Ramaswamy, meanwhile, has stood by it, describing it as “legitimate.” On Thursday, Trump praised the ad as “very powerful” in a Truth Social post, while attacking media coverage and Republicans who opposed it. “Who wouldn't use such an Ad? I would,” he added. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments