Trump Rages at ABC News Reporter Over Ramaswamy Ad Questioning: ‘Not a Particularly Attractive Person’

President Donald Trump lashed out at an ABC News reporter over questions about a controversial campaign ad from Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, declaring her “not a particularly attractive person.”

The ad in question, which Ramaswamy’s team spent $4 million to air statewide, features his Democratic rival Amy Acton’s estranged mother accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood and urging Ohioans not to vote for her.

It sparked backlash from both sides of the aisle, given that Acton has recounted how she and her brother, Phillip Stearns, were taken from the custody of their mother, Donna Arthur, following years of abuse and neglect, including sexual abuse by their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, whom their mother sided with.

On Thursday, Trump took questions from reporters outside the White House, many of which focused on the ad. At that point, the president had already posted a lengthy rant to Truth Social, urging Ramaswamy to keep the video up, attacking Acton as a “defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate,” and accusing the press of orchestrating a campaign against the Republican. He also lashed out at Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), branding him a “RINO” for calling on Ramaswamy to pull the ad.

Though ABC News’ Karen Travers focused on a new angle in her question, pressing Trump about Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), the Senate candidate he was headed to Sioux City, Iowa, to rally for later that day.

Hinson told the network’s Jonathan Karl earlier on Thursday, “I think it’s absolutely terrible, and I think they should take the ad down.”

Mentioning the Republican candidate’s comments, Travers asked Trump, “Why are you defending it?”

“I’m defending it because I know that if that ad were about my mother, you would love it,” the president responded. “You would love every inch of it.”

Trump returned to the controversy Thursday night at his rally in Sioux City, largely echoing the arguments he had made earlier to reporters and in his social media post.

Complaining about the number of questions he received on the matter, the president, while never mentioning Travers by name, attacked a female ABC News reporter specifically, telling the crowd:

I had one woman from “ABC Fake News” — one of the worst of all. I think ABC is the most crooked of all. You know, it’s funny. They spend all this money on, uh, PR, you know, to try and — “This is ABC News.” They’re the worst. Total fake news — all of ’em. They’re all no good.

But anyway, this woman starts screaming. I recognize her immediately — not a particularly attractive person, inside or out. In fact, I just am amazed that these people can be reporters or anchors. She’s screaming. She’s a nasty person. I’ve had a lot of problems with her. Fake [unintelligible]. She goes, “You should tell him to take it down immediately!” Why? ‘Cause it’s such a good ad?

Watch above on LiveNOW from FOX.

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