Donald Trump asks "Why would you shield somebody from that?" about ad calling Acton a liar

At a Thursday rally in Iowa, President Donald Trump defended a Vivek Ramaswamy campaign ad for the Ohio governor’s race that features Donna Arthur, the mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton, calling Acton a liar. Acton has been estranged from Arthur since childhood, when police intervened over allegations that Acton’s stepfather sexually abused her; Acton said her mother did not protect her. Amid bipartisan criticism and calls to remove the spot, Trump praised it and argued it should stay up; asked later whether the abuse allegations changed his view, he said no and dismissed the matter as a mother criticizing her daughter. The president’s stance drew condemnation, including from David Axelrod, who said the ad could harm the Republican Party, and a CNN anchor reported that many prominent Republicans were keeping their distance from it.