Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) said Tuesday that Donald Trump and JD Vance’s false claims about immigrants are “deeply hurtful” to the people of Springfield.
“The mayor says there’s no evidence, the police chief says there’s no evidence, the city manager says there’s no evidence, there’s no evidence. There is no evidence of this at all,” DeWine said on NewsNation about claims that Haitian immigrants in the city are stealing and eating cats and dogs.
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo then asked DeWine to address the Republican presidential candidate and his running mate, a U.S. senator from Ohio.
“What is your message to JD Vance and former President Trump? You support them as the Republican ticket. What is your advice to them about what to do about these allegations about eating pets in Springfield that they keep repeating? Cuomo asked.
“They are very hurtful. It’s very hurtful to the people, hurtful to the people of Springfield, hurtful to the Haitians who work every day,” DeWine said.
“Some of them are scared,” he added.
As for advice, he suggested that Trump and Vance speak about immigration issues without falling into untruths.
“I don’t really tell people how to run a campaign,” he said. “I just think the border is a big problem. It’s a very legitimate issue. It is something that I think the Biden administration has not done well and has failed.”
“And I think it makes perfect sense to talk about that, and I think people want to hear about that, but this whole thing about eating dogs and cats… it doesn’t help,” he added.
Last week, Vance amplified the racist claim about eating pets after it circulated in far-right circles on social media. He later doubled down even after it was debunked by local officials. The next day, Trump injected it into the national discourse when he brought it up during the presidential debate, which was watched by an estimated 67 million people.
Support free journalism
Support JS
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
The unfounded comments have caused chaos and stress for Springfield residents, who have been forced to deal with building evacuations, threats and other safety concerns amid intense scrutiny.
Despite enormous backlash, Trump and Vance have continued to perpetuate this lie. While defending himself for spreading the lie on Sunday, Vance admitted that he likes to “create stories” to attract media attention.
Support free journalism
Support JS
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
🗳️ 🇺🇸 Make your vote count! Learn more about how to register, important deadlines, and voting-by-mail options in your state here.