A Republican political activist caught video of Amy Acton’s campaign staff blocking him when he asked why she refuses to debate her opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy. The footage shows Acton walking away as her handlers repeat “no photos, no videos.”
The confrontation happened last Saturday at a campaign event in Harrison, Ohio. When the cameraman approached Acton, asking why she declined debate invitations, her staff rushed in to shield her from view.
“No photos, no videos,” the staff repeated. “I said — no pictures, no interviews.”
At one point, Acton’s staff appeared to bump into the cameraman, knocking his camera out of frame. He asked them to be “careful.” Acton did not respond to the questions.
Harrison On Saturday
The cameraman approached Acton at a campaign event in Harrison, Ohio, last Saturday. His question was simple: why does she keep declining debate invitations from Ramaswamy?
Her staff answered by rushing in to block him from getting near her. They repeated “no photos, no videos” as he tried to film the exchange.
The video captures Acton walking away from the interviewer as her staff blocks the cameraman. At one point, staff members appear to bump into the cameraman, jolting his camera out of frame and prompting him to ask them to be “careful.”
The Debate Stalemate
Ramaswamy’s camp has criticized Acton for avoiding debates as both candidates approach the Nov. 3 general election. Earlier this month, after Ramaswamy accepted a debate invitation from CNN, Acton’s campaign told local media she would not accept.
The video adds to that pressure. Ramaswamy’s campaign has seized on her refusal to explain herself.
“It’s too bad for Ohio voters that Acton won’t take voter questions, won’t debate, quit after failing as Ohio’s health director, and has some serious issues now surfaced in multiple police reports,” Ramaswamy said in a post to social media.
What Acton’s Campaign Said
Acton’s campaign responded to Ramaswamy’s acceptance with a statement directed at Republican attacks on her record. The statement, issued Sept. 2, pointed to a series of Republican criticisms, including her role in Ohio’s COVID response, a 2019 verbal domestic dispute she had while intoxicated, and AI-generated campaign ads that replaced her car’s license plate with a “drunk mom” tag.
The statement also noted Ramaswamy’s quiet posture toward releasing the Epstein files at the start of his campaign.
The Response From Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy ignored Acton’s needling in his reply. Instead, he questioned her fitness for office while refusing to press her case on a debate stage.
Acton’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about the Saturday interaction.
The Road To November
Acton cleared the Ohio Democratic primary. She will face Ramaswamy in the Nov. 3 general election.
The debate question remains open. Whether Acton answers it depends on whether she decides the camera is worth facing.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Ramaswamy accepts CNN debate invitation | Earlier this month |
| Acton’s campaign tells local media she won’t accept | Sept. 2 |
| Acton’s campaign event in Harrison | Last Saturday |
| General election | Nov. 3 |
| Attack Type | Description |
|---|---|
| COVID response | Her role in Ohio’s pandemic response |
| Domestic dispute | A verbal dispute in 2019 while intoxicated |
| License plate ad | AI-generated campaign ads replacing her car’s plate with a “drunk mom” tag |
| Epstein files | Ramaswamy’s quiet posture toward releasing the files at the start of his campaign |
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