'I taught you better': Vivek Ramaswamy's former teacher slams his Ohio attack ad featuring rival Amy Acton's estranged mother

Retired teacher Michael Pogue, who had Ramaswamy as an eighth-grade student at Princeton Junior High School in Cincinnati, appeared at a campaign event on 24 October holding a banner reading "Shame on you, Vivek! I taught you better." The ad used Amy Acton's estranged mother to brand her daughter a "liar" — despite the fact that the mother's late husband had been indicted for raping Acton as a child. A new poll suggests the ad has backfired, with more respondents saying it pushed them toward voting for Acton.

Pogue demanded that Ramaswamy issue a complete retraction and offer a genuine apology to Acton, telling reporters: 'I had too many students who were raped.'

The attack ad drew bipartisan condemnation after Acton's estranged mother was given a platform in the 30-second spot in spite of the family's harrowing history.

The backlash spans generations — though not all of Ramaswamy's former teachers are critical: his first-grade teacher presented him with a certificate last year proclaiming him Ohio's 'future governor.'