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Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign released a 60-second attack advertisement featuring his opponent's estranged mother calling her daughter "a liar," prompting criticism about the propriety of the spot with two weeks remaining in the race, PBS NewsHour reported on October 21, 2026. The Ramaswamy campaign announced it would spend millions to promote the ad. Vice President JD Vance defended the campaign's approach, stating he was "not really my concern" whether the ad was appropriate and expressing disgust at Republicans complaining about the attack, while arguing he was focused on supporting Republican candidates in their midterm races.