克利夫兰-俄亥俄州民主党州长候选人艾米·阿克顿（Amy Acton）周六在接受美国广播公司新闻采访时表示，她希望唐纳德·特朗普总统和副总统JD·万斯（JD Vance）在为共和党候选人维韦克·拉马斯瓦米（Vivek Ramaswamy）的竞选活动制作的攻击广告辩护后，能够“看看事实”，她说自己小时候遭受过虐待。
在广告发布后，两党的强烈反对打击了拉马斯瓦米的竞选活动，广告中阿克顿疏远的母亲说，她站在那个因童年时对她进行性虐待而受到刑事指控的男人一边。阿克顿说，她从12岁起就没见过母亲。
在广告中，阿克顿的母亲唐娜·亚瑟（Donna Arthur）表示，阿克顿对自己的过去撒了谎，尽管广告中没有提到性侵指控。
为了回应特朗普和万斯，他们加倍努力为广告辩护，阿克顿告诉美国广播公司新闻，“我的工作是与过道任何一边的任何人合作解决问题，而不是制造问题，我想说，我真的希望他们能看看事实。”
阿克顿在克利夫兰与前总统奥巴马的一次集会后接受了美国广播公司的采访。
阿克顿声称，她母亲的第二任丈夫在她9岁至12岁时对她实施了性骚扰。对她的继父提出了指控，阿克顿作证指控他。他不认罪，但在审判前逃离了该州，从未在法官面前出现过。他于2004年去世。
阿克顿说，她和她的哥哥在童年时忍受了“极端的儿童虐待和忽视”。
“我们是儿童服务机构的常客．．．阿克顿说：“这个案件中有事实：大陪审团起诉，逃犯保释，这种行为持续不断。
特朗普本周对记者谈到该广告时，驳斥了关于阿克顿性虐待指控的问题，并在多处声称该广告与阿克顿的继父“无关”。
同样，万斯本周早些时候在俄亥俄州的集会上对与会者说，他“有点反感，因为我看到全国各地的共和党人对那则广告的抱怨多于他们对国会民主党人和其他民主党人想对美利坚合众国做的事情的抱怨。”
俄亥俄州最大的报纸《克利夫兰实话报》（The Cleveland Plain Dealer）周日支持阿克顿竞选州长，称在广告发布后，该报改变了此前不支持竞选的决定。
＂ Vivek Ramaswamy正在寻求该州的最高职位，他制作了一个竞选广告，将他的对手Amy Acton小时候遭受的性虐待武器化。跨越政治光谱的人们已经正确地谴责它，“报纸的编辑部写道，部分原因。
“一个候选人利用童年时期的性虐待作为武器来对付忍受这种虐待的人，已经越过了俄亥俄州人应该捍卫的界限，不管他们属于哪个政党。我们比这更好。我们有责任展示它。今天，我们支持民主党人艾米·阿克顿竞选州长。”
该报还写道，阿克顿的其他成就进一步推动了他们的认可，宣称拉马斯瓦米“让俄亥俄州人更没有理由信任他。”
“［阿克顿］凭借自己的记录、准备和对她所服务的人民的承诺赢得了人们的关注，”该报写道。
拉马斯瓦米的竞选团队周日在给美国广播公司新闻（ABC News）的一份声明中驳斥了该报的支持，并指出了该报编辑克里斯·奎因的名字。
“任何认为克里斯·奎因的报纸不会在这场竞选中支持自由党的人都是在自欺欺人，”竞选发言人埃文·马汉写道。
共和党俄亥俄州州长迈克·德温（Mike DeWine）周四在俄亥俄州哥伦布市告诉记者，该广告“非常非常令人不安”，拉马斯瓦米竞选团队“需要将其撤下”，但他没有撤回对拉马斯瓦米的支持。
当被问及她是否对德温没有撤销对他的支持感到失望时，阿克顿说，在新冠肺炎·疫情担任俄亥俄州卫生部长期间，与他共事是“一种荣誉和特权”。
阿克顿说：“我真的很感谢他说出了案件的事实。”“这是一个他比别人更清楚的控诉。他是检察官。他的职业生涯就是从起诉这样的案件开始的，他比任何人都了解。他知道我是谁，知道我的故事。”
拉马斯瓦米周五对记者表示，该广告与童年虐待无关。
“我们做了一个关于撒谎的广告，”他说。“艾米·阿克顿在撒谎。她在整个竞选过程中一直在撒谎，关于我，关于她的记录，关于她在这个州的历史。”
拉马斯瓦米的发言人康妮·勒克（Connie Luck）在给ABC新闻的一份声明中说：“俄亥俄州人承受不起一个为奥巴马现身但从未为他们现身的自由派州长。”
拉马斯瓦米和阿克顿从未见过面。当被问及她会对他说什么时，阿克顿说：“我真的不知道该对拉马斯瓦米先生说些什么。我认为他不会堕落到任何地步。”
阿克顿对虐待的幸存者说：“对于那些正在经历这些的人，请坚持住。如果你觉得和某人在一起很安全，就说出来。”
奥巴马抨击特朗普，称拉马斯瓦米“渴望”关注
阿克顿周六与前民主党参议员谢罗德·布朗（Sherrod Brown）一起竞选，后者正在竞选夺回自己的席位，奥巴马是最后一位在2012年总统大选中赢得俄亥俄州的民主党总统候选人。
鉴于共和党面临的逆风，民主党人将参议院和州长竞选视为关键的回升机会。
在他的讲话中，奥巴马在从经济到移民到伊朗战争的各种问题上严厉指责了特朗普政府。
关于共和党州长候选人，奥巴马称拉马斯瓦米“渴望”得到关注。
“维韦克自己的支持者知道这一切都是为了他自己，”奥巴马说。“我们都认识那个家伙，你知道，谁．．．只想得到关注，愿意做任何事。最近几天，我们已经看到，没有他不会跨越的底线，没有他不会堕落的低谷。”
奥巴马强调了他所说的这次选举的“道德成分”，并表示当前的公共话语中缺少“基本的体面”。
Amy Acton says Trump， Vance should ＇look at the facts＇ after Ramaswamy attack ad
CLEVELAND --Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton told ABC News in an interview Saturday that she hopes President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance will ＂look at the facts＂ of the abuse she says she endured as a child after they defended an attack ad made by GOP nominee Vivek Ramaswamy＇s campaign．
Bipartisan backlash has hit Ramaswamy＇s campaign after the release of the ad featuring Acton＇s estranged mother whom Acton says stood by the man who was criminally charged with sexually abusing her as a child． Acton said she hasn＇t seen her mother since she was 12 years old．
In the ad， Acton＇s mother， Donna Arthur， said Acton has lied about her past， though it doesn＇t mention the allegations of sexual abuse．
In response to Trump and Vance， who have doubled down on and defended the ad， Acton told ABC News， ＂My job is to work with anyone on any side of the aisle to solve problems instead of making them， and I would say I do hope they would look at the facts．＂
Acton spoke to ABC News after a rally in Cleveland with former President Barack Obama．
Acton has alleged her mother＇s second husband molested her between the ages of 9 and 12． Charges were filed against her stepfather and Acton testified against him． He pleaded not guilty， but fled the state before trial and never appeared before a judge． He died in 2004．
Acton said she and her brother endured ＂extreme child abuse and neglect＂ in their childhood．
＂We were frequent flyers in children＇s services ．．． There are facts in this case： a grand jury indictment， fugitive out against bail， and that behavior went on and on，＂ Acton said．
Speaking to reporters this week about the ad， Trump dismissed questions about the allegations of Acton＇s sexual abuse， asserting at multiple points that the ad has ＂nothing to do＂ with Acton＇s stepfather．
Similarly， Vance told rally attendees in Ohio earlier this week that he is ＂a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are 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．＂
The Cleveland Plain Dealer， Ohio＇s largest newspaper， endorsed Acton for governor on Sunday， saying that it was reversing a previous decision to not endorse in the race in the wake of the ad．
＂Vivek Ramaswamy， seeking the highest office in this state， has produced a campaign advertisement that weaponizes the sexual abuse his opponent， Amy Acton， suffered as a child． People across the political spectrum have rightly condemned it，＂ the paper＇seditorial board wrote， in part．
＂A candidate who uses childhood sexual abuse as a weapon against the person who endured it has crossed a line that Ohioans should defend， whatever their party． We are better than this． We have a responsibility to show it． Today， we endorse Democrat Amy Acton for governor．＂
The paper also wrote that Acton＇s other achievements further prompted their endorsement， declaring that Ramaswamy ＂has offered Ohioans far less reason to trust him．＂
＂［Acton］ has earned consideration on her own record， her preparation and her commitment to the people she seeks to serve，＂ the paper wrote．
Ramaswamy＇s campaign on Sunday dismissed the paper＇s endorsement in a statement to ABC News， referring to its editor Chris Quinn by name．
＂Anyone who thought Chris Quinn＇s paper wouldn＇t back the liberal in this race is fooling themselves，＂ campaign spokesperson Evan Machan wrote．
GOP Ohio Gov． Mike DeWine， who on Thursday told reporters in Columbus， Ohio， that the ad is ＂deeply， deeply troubling＂ and that the Ramaswamy campaign ＂needs to take it down，＂ but he did not withdraw his endorsement of Ramaswamy．
Asked whether she was disappointed that DeWine didn＇t withdraw his endorsement， Acton said it was ＂an honor and a privilege＂ to work with him during COVID-19 pandemic as the director of the Ohio Department of Health．
＂I really do appreciate him calling out the facts of the case，＂ Acton said． ＂That this was an indictment he knows better than others． He＇s a prosecutor． He started his career prosecuting cases like this， and he knew more than anyone． He knows who I am and knows my story．＂
Speaking to reporters on Friday， Ramaswamy said the ad had nothing to do with childhood abuse．
＂We ran an ad about lying，＂ he said． ＂Amy Acton is lying． She has been lying this entire campaign about me， about her record， about her history in this state．＂
In a statement to ABC News， Connie Luck， a spokesperson for Ramaswamy said： ＂Ohioans can＇t afford a liberal governor who shows up for Obama but never shows up for them．＂
Ramaswamy and Acton have never met in person． Asked what she would say to him， Acton said： ＂I really have no words for Mr． Ramaswamy． I think there is no low that he wouldn＇t sink to．＂
Speaking to survivors of abuse， Acton said： ＂For those out there going through it now， hold on， please． If there＇s someone you feel safe with， say something about it．＂
Obama blasts Trump， says Ramaswamy ＇thirsty＇ for attention
Acton campaigned Saturday alongside former Democratic Sen． Sherrod Brown， who＇s running to win back his seat， and Obama， who was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win the state of Ohio in a presidential election in 2012．
Democrats are eyeing the Senate and gubernatorial races as key pickup opportunities given the headwinds facing Republicans．
In his remarks， Obama delivered a scathing rebuke of the Trump administration on a variety of issues， from the economy to immigration to the war in Iran．
Regarding the GOP candidate for governor， Obama called Ramaswamy ＂thirsty＂ for attention．
＂Vivek＇s own supporters know it＇s all about what＇s in it for him，＂ Obama said． ＂We all know that guy， you know， who ．．． just wants to get attention no matter what， willing to do anything． And in recent days， we＇ve seen there is no line he will not cross， no low he will not sink to．＂
Obama emphasized what he called a ＂moral component＂ to this election and said that ＂basic decency＂ is missing from the current public discourse．
