Cincinnati, Ohio - Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was reportedly warned against using the controversial attack ad against Democrat Amy Acton that has been sinking his campaign.
According to Zeteo, several campaign staffers told the outlet that they have considered quitting their jobs ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
An advisor to President Donald Trump told the outlet that "siding with the rapist protector mom" was "never a good idea."
The outlet claims staffers expressed resistance to running the ad, but Ramaswamy ultimately pushed for it.
The Republican came under bipartisan fire after releasing the campaign ad, which features Acton's estranged mother calling her daughter a "liar" and urging Ohioans not to vote for her.
Acton hasn't spoken to her mother since she was removed from her custody at the age of 12 after her stepfather was indicted for raping her.
Acton's mother stayed married to the stepfather, who fled the state and became a fugitive for the crime until he died in 2004.
Despite the outrage, Ramaswamy has defended the ad and vowed to continue showing it.
The scandal has also hurt Ramaswamy's chances at victory. A private poll commissioned by a GOP group and obtained by Axios found Acton with an eight-point lead – a notable jump from her two-point advantage that was recorded earlier this month before the ad dropped.
President Trump, who also defended the ad, is scheduled to speak at a rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, alongside Ramaswamy and Senator Jon Husted.