Trump Backs Vile Vivek Ad—and It Instantly Backfires as GOP Revolts

In dense and convoluted remarks, Donald Trump defended that disgusting ad in the Ohio gubernatorial race. The ad from Republican Vivek Ramaswamy featured the mother of Democrat Amy Acton calling her a liar. But it quickly emerged that Acton was apparently raped by her stepfather, the mother’s husband. The move backfired spectacularly, as numerous Republicans, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, strongly condemned the ad and GOP panic over the race erupted. Even MAGA appears divided. We talked to Jim Swift, a senior editor at The Bulwark, who wrote a good piece on this fiasco. We discuss the deeper reasons Ramaswamy decided this ad would energize the MAGA base, how it could cost Republicans the Ohio gubernatorial and Senate contests, and what this ugly saga says about the depravity of Late-Stage MAGA—and the growing mainstream backlash to it. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here.