Vice President JD Vance says he is “disgusted” by fellow Republicans pushing back against an ad released by Vivek Ramaswamy that features his rival’s estranged mother.

The commercial casts doubt on the traumatic childhood of Dr. Amy Acton, Ramaswamy’s Democratic opponent in the governor’s race.

“Politics is a tough business,” Vance said during a campaign visit to Ohio on Wednesday. The vice president said whether the controversial 60-second broadcast was appropriate was “not really my concern,” and that his focus was assisting Republican candidates in their midterm contests.

The ad features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling Acton “a liar” and implying she has mental health issues. Released two weeks before Election Day, the ad faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans after exploding into public view on Tuesday.

“I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are 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,” Vance said.

Ramaswamy, a billionaire tech entrepreneur and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, pledged to spend $4 million promote the ad despite pushback from within and outside his party. He did not address the matter during his remarks before Vance spoke at a rally outside Cincinnati.

Acton, Ohio’s former health director, has openly discussed facing abuse and homelessness as a child. Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather was indicted for raping Acton.

Police and court records show Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with raping his stepdaughter, then 12, in July 1978 after her biological father alerted authorities. The abuse allegedly occurred between December 1976 and April 1978.

On Tuesday, Acton’s campaign posted a video featuring her brother, who supported her account of living in a tent and suffering abuse.

In comments to reporters ahead of the rally, Vance added that Acton “lies about every single one of her positions.”