Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday denounced former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that Haitian immigrants eat dogs and other pets in Springfield, Ohio as “garbage,” but stopped short of directly condemning the former president and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance. , for spreading false claims.
“There’s a lot of garbage on the Internet. You know, this is a piece of garbage that simply wasn’t true. There’s no evidence whatsoever,” DeWine said in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” when asked if Trump was responsible for making these false claims.
Asked what she would say to Trump after pointing out that there is no truth to his claims about Haitian immigrants, DeWine condemned hate groups that have marched in Springfield as part of a hate campaign against Haitian immigrants, before praising Haitians for being tough. working people who have brought “positive influences” to the city.
“Hate groups are coming to Springfield, we don’t need these hate groups,” he said. “I saw literature yesterday that the mayor told me was supposedly about the KKK. Springfield is a good city. They are good people. They welcome people. We have challenges every day. We work on those challenges.”
“Haitians are culturally, my wife Fran and I have seen this when we’ve been in Haiti – education is valued,” he added. “So when you look at all of these things, people who want to work, people who value their children, who value education, you know, these are positive impacts on our community in Springfield, and any comment about that otherwise, I think, is offensive and doesn’t benefit the city of Springfield and the people of Springfield .”
Recent bomb threats in Springfield led to the closure of schools and municipal buildings last week amid widespread scrutiny of the city over false rumors of Haitian immigrants stealing and eating livestock.
Pressed on whether there is a connection between the bomb threats and unsubstantiated claims Trump and Vance have been spreading online, DeWine called for an end to discussions of those claims, but did not directly criticize Trump or Vance for promoting right-wing conspiracies.
“I think these conversations about Haitians eating dogs and cats and other things need to stop,” he said. “We have to focus on what is essential. The important thing is that we get basic healthcare for everyone in a very growing city, that we do other things related to housing. These are the kind of basic things that we have to do. We need to focus on them, not these.”
DeWine noted that many of the Haitian immigrants in Springfield came there legally under federal programs as refugees fleeing political turmoil in their country and have helped boost the state’s economy as workers.
“This conversation about Haitians eating dogs is just not helpful,” he said. “And again, these people are here legally. They’re here legally and they want to work, and in fact they’re working. And when you talk to employers, employers tell you, you know, we don’t know what we’d do without them. They’re working, and they’re working hard .”
However, DeWine supported Trump when asked if his support for the former president has waned in light of his false claims.
“I’ve said before we knew who the nominee was going to be that I would support the Republican nominee for president,” he said. “I’m a Republican. I think if you look at the economic issues, and those are the things that I think the American people are most concerned about, I think Donald Trump is the best choice.
Trump made an unsubstantiated claim about Haitian immigrants in Springfield during a presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris last week, claiming that Springfield is an example of the harmful effects of immigration as a result of Harris’ immigration policies.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue has condemned the false claims and urged the public, especially prominent public figures, not to confirm them further.
“Springfield is a beautiful community and your pets are safe in Springfield, Ohio,” Rue told MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports” last week. “We have made a public announcement and ask people to understand and believe the reports we are sharing with them.”
“We need those who have a national stage with a microphone, millions and millions (of followers), we need to understand what their words are doing to cities like Springfield, Ohio,” he added. “We need help. We don’t need this misinformation.”
Vance on Sunday dismissed claims that an online conspiracy of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating pets is a lie, saying he has heard concerns from constituents about the issue.
“I hear you say they’re baseless, but I won’t repeat them because I made them up out of thin air,” Vance said in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet The Press.”
The Trump nominee doubled down on those comments in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” later Sunday, saying, “If I have to create stories to really get the American media to pay attention to the suffering of the American people, that’s what I’m going to do.”
When pressed for clarification, Vance reiterated that he heard first-hand accounts from his constituents.
“I say we’re creating a story, which means we’re creating an American media focus on it,” he told CNN.
Vance also pushed back against comments by local officials urging them not to spread false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield in an interview with CBS’ Face the Nation.
When asked what he has done to help DeWine in his request for federal aid, as an influx of thousands of immigrants in recent years has strained the state’s health care system, Vance tried to blame Harris, whom Biden in 2021 tasked with addressing the root causes of immigration. to the southern border because of his politics.
“Well, the most important thing we can do to help Governor DeWine and the entire state of Ohio, and frankly the entire country, Margaret, is stop Kamala Harris’ open border,” he said. “And for two years I’ve been fighting for a policy that does just that.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
