Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie took a sharp swipe at Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday, arguing that Vance's steadfast defense of a controversial campaign ad in Ohio's gubernatorial race will define his political legacy. The ad, run by Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, featured the elderly mother of Democratic Governor-elect Amy Acton and was widely criticized as a low point in campaign tactics.
In a post on X, Christie wrote, "JD Vance will be remembered for standing behind Vivek and his ad. A man who wrote a book about Catholicism. It's a disgrace." The comment came after Acton defeated Ramaswamy by a decisive margin in the Buckeye State's gubernatorial election, with Acton securing 52.31% of the vote to Ramaswamy's 44.4%, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Christie elaborated on his criticism in an interview with ABC's David Muir, questioning the judgment of anyone who would "take a woman, an elderly woman, out of the care she was living in, in a parking lot of a church in Pennsylvania with her cats, and put her in front of a video camera and make that a TV ad." He added that the "real problem going forward" was Vance's full-throated endorsement of Ramaswamy and the ad itself.
"Vivek Ramaswamy will be forgotten. He is going to be sent to the dustbin of history," Christie said, before pivoting to the vice president's role. "JD Vance will be remembered for standing behind Vivek and his ad."
The ad in question featured Acton's mother accusing her daughter of being a "liar" and saying "my daughter needs help." It drew condemnation from both sides of the aisle, including conservative commentator Scott Jennings, who suggested Vance could have "ignored" the ad and that not all surrogates needed to agree with the campaign's strategy.
Vance, however, doubled down, telling reporters at a fraud task force press conference that the ad "calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar." He also expressed disgust at Republicans who were "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." President Trump also defended the ad, telling Ramaswamy to "keep it up."
Acton's victory marks a historic milestone: she becomes Ohio's first Democratic governor in roughly 15 years and the first woman elected to the office in state history. She previously served as director of the Ohio Department of Health under outgoing Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who was term-limited.
The race has broader implications for the GOP's strategy in swing states, as Vance campaigned heavily for Ramaswamy in the final days. Critics argue that the ad and Vance's defense of it may have alienated moderate voters. Meanwhile, similar controversial ads have drawn scrutiny in other races, signaling a potential trend in political messaging.
Christie's remarks also come amid a broader GOP soul-searching after the midterm results, with some pointing to Vance's dismissal of other factors in the party's losses. As the dust settles, the episode may serve as a cautionary tale about the limits of aggressive campaigning.
