Sean Hannity said Tuesday that criticism of Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad against Amy Acton “looks like a dirty trick by Democrats” ― a stunning claim that guest Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) didn’t question on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
The commercial has dominated talk recently in the tight Ohio governor’s race between Republican Ramaswamy and Democrat Acton.
The ad featured Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar and urging Ohioans not to elect her. Acton’s mother lost custody when the candidate was 12 years old. She stayed with Acton’s stepfather after Acton accused him of raping her repeatedly. The mother eventually fled the state with her indicted husband.
Ramaswamy and President Donald Trump have defended the ad in the face of a bipartisan outcry.
But Hannity’s rambling, halting defense might be the most outrageous of all.
“I also talked to Vivek Ramaswamy,” the host told Moreno. “When Vivek Ramaswamy did this ad, people jumped to the conclusion.”
“There was never any reference to any past sexual abuse when the mother of his opponent um, talked about — he was referring to her claiming that she grew up in a tent, and the mother said no, we didn’t grow up in a tent and she’s lying and she has a problem with telling the truth,” Hannity said. “It looks like a dirty trick by Democrats in your state of Ohio. Is that true?”
Moreno let Hannity’s wild assertion slip by in an apparent bow to political expedience.
“Well, look, politics is a dirty game,” the senator replied.
Hannity’s apparent deception is off the charts. Much of the outrage has been over the mother’s severely tainted credibility. The two reportedly have not seen each other since a courtroom appearance in 1978. In addition, the family did live in a tent, according to court records reported by NPR. And in the ad, the mother touts her past work with a sexual abuse program ― a jarring reference considering the disturbing past with her daughter.
Moreno used the moment to slam Acton’s COVID-19 response as the state’s health department director and to urge people to vote for Ramaswamy.