Ann Romney calls super PAC ad 'horrible,' expects tough tone to persist

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Ann Romney opens up about RNC speech, family

Interview with GOP nominee's wife

Ann Romney, in an interview with Fox News, called the recent super PAC ad that links her husband to a woman's death "horrible" and "outrageous" -- but she said she doesn't expect the tone of the presidential race "to get any easier."

Romney kept an optimistic outlook toward her husband's candidacy Wednesday, one day after Mitt Romney was formally nominated and after she took the stage to deliver a personal speech about her husband. The speech touched on their early relationship, their family and her struggles with MS and breast cancer.

Romney, in the Fox News interview, took exception to the pro-Obama Priorities USA ad released several weeks ago that suggested Mitt Romney was responsible for an ex-steelworker's wife's death from cancer, because the man's plant shut down after the involvement of Romney's former private equity firm, leading to the loss of the steelworker health care coverage.

"Clearly those are outrageous and offensive. We're talking about a woman's life, and somehow that my husband caused her death. I mean, it's just horrible," she said. "That is outrageous. And you know, those things are upsetting. But it's what we're dealing with right now. And I expect more of it, actually."

Romney cast her Tuesday night address in Tampa as an opportunity to focus attention on "real issues."

She said the speech was such an emotional moment for her family, that her five sons "all had a tear in their eyes" when she was done. She said her husband "surprised me" when he showed up on stage at the end. Even when keynote speaker Chris Christie, New Jersey's governor, was speaking, "my boys were still quite emotional."

When she returned to her hotel room, she said, her grandchildren "stormed the door, tackled me, threw me on the ground, jumping all over me ... they are so cute."

Romney, who Tuesday night vowed that her husband "will not fail," predicted victory in November.

"I see Mitt winning, and I see America getting better," she said. Romney didn't go into what her role might be as first lady if the Republican ticket wins, other than to say her "passions" would lead her.

"I care about children. I care about disadvantaged kids. ... I care about breast cancer research. I care about multiple sclerosis research," Romney said. "So all of those things that I have been working on ... for years myself on a personal level, I'm sure I will carry forward."

Fox News' Shannon Bream contributed to this report.