commentary

Many Republicans have kids who won't talk to them — and they blame their offspring

Published October 23, 2026 6:45AM (EDT)

Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a rally with President Donald Trump on Oct. 12 in Youngstown, Ohio. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

As soon as Vivek Ramaswamy released an ad celebrating a woman accused of backing a fugitive rapist, the widespread assumption among the pundit class was that it would backfire on him. Ohio’s Republican gubernatorial candidate is falling behind in the polls against his Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton, in a race that threatens to turn long-red Ohio blue.

In a move reeking of desperation, Ramaswamy’s campaign ran a spot featuring Acton’s elderly mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter a “liar” and suggesting she suffers from severe mental illness.…