Trump berates female reporter as ‘horrible little’ Vivek ad dispute draws focus to Acton’s mother
Trump confronts reporter
Trump lost his temper with a journalist on Friday while discussing the ad targeting Acton through her estranged mother. After the reporter identified her employer, he called her a “horrible little reporter,” according to the article.
Trump said he did not care about Acton’s history of being raped by her late stepfather. He defended the ad and said he knew that her mother had appeared on television criticizing her.
Acton describes abuse
Acton, 60, has said her stepfather raped her when she was 12. She has said she stopped speaking to her mother, Arthur, in 1978 after Arthur refused to believe her and sided with her husband.
The article says Acton remained estranged from her mother. Her stepfather was charged and died in 2004; Acton has also discussed surviving homelessness and sexual abuse during her campaign and while leading the Ohio Department of Health.
Mother’s account and ad dispute
Arthur has denied that her husband sexually abused Acton. In a separate 2020 interview, she acknowledged supporting him during the proceedings, borrowing money to hire an attorney, and leaving town with him after his indictment.
Trump said other Republican politicians who condemned Ramaswamy’s use of the ad did not know the facts. He described it as a mother criticizing her daughter’s bid for Ohio governor, without acknowledging the circumstances Acton has described.
Key points
- Trump called a journalist a “horrible little reporter” after she identified her employer.
- Acton has said her stepfather raped her when she was 12.
- Her mother denied the abuse but acknowledged supporting her husband after his indictment.
- Trump defended the ad and criticized Republicans who condemned Ramaswamy’s use of it.