Trump spars with NBC reporter over Ramaswamy attack ad

President Trump engaged in a vigorous back-and-forth Friday with NBC reporter Monica Alba after tripling down on the Ohio governor’s race ad featuring Democratic nominee Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar.

Reporters asked Trump about fellow Republicans denouncing the ad that was created by Vivek Ramaswamy, the GOP candidate for Ohio governor.

“But they don’t know the facts,” Trump said. “Look … a mother is saying, ‘Don’t put my daughter there because she’s a terrible person and she’s a liar.’ Why shouldn’t somebody use that?”

Ramaswamy has confirmed his campaign funded the ad, which featured Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, calling her a “liar” and insinuating that she has mental health issues. Acton has said she hasn’t spoken to her mother since she was a child and was sexually abused by her stepfather. Her mother stayed with the stepfather even after he was charged with sexually abusing Acton when she was 12, court documents show.

Alba pushed back at Trump’s response, asking, “Do the sexual abuse allegations mean nothing to you?”

Trump told her to slow down and asked what outlet she was with. He then went on to bash NBC News and called Alba a “fresh person” and a “horrible little reporter.”

“If my mother said bad things about me, do you think the Democrats would put it up? I think so. But my mother thought I was wonderful,” he said.

“This is a person, a mother, a smart woman — I watched, smart woman — she said her daughter is a disaster,” Trump continued. “Her daughter is a liar, and she felt that she had an obligation. And she also said her daughter lied about her opponent, which is Vivek Ramaswamy. If I had that ad, I should be so lucky to have an ad like that. Why wouldn’t you listen to a mother that says that? Why? Why would you … Miss NBC. Why wouldn’t you listen?”

Alba tried explaining to the president that Arthur stayed with the stepfather after he was charged, while Trump turned away from her and said, “I don’t know anything about a stepfather,” then, “You just keep talking.”

“I’m just answering you, sir,” Alba replied.

“I don’t know anything about stepfathers,” he repeated.

“A sad thing, and I feel like it was an exploitative thing to do. My mother is not well,” Acton told CBS affiliate WBNS .

Ramaswamy has argued the claims Arthur made about Acton are “not new.”

“Her mother has spoken out for years, and I don’t know Amy Acton’s mother and I’ve never met Amy Acton either. What I do know is that Amy Acton has been repeatedly and serially dishonest during this campaign,” Ramaswamy said.

Since the ad has aired, Acton is narrowly favored over Ramaswamy to win.

Decision Desk HQ, NewsNation ’s election partner, puts Acton’s chances of winning at 60 percent, compared with 40 percent for Ramaswamy, as of Wednesday. Last month, their chances were closer to 50-50.