While many media outlets have blamed former President Donald Trump for dozens of bomb threats in Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that the threats were all fake, and many originated from overseas.
Governor DeWine said in Springfield that he had ordered Ohio State police to add additional patrols at schools to calm fears about the threats, and that a police investigation had determined the threats were all fake.
“I see this as another opportunity to disrupt America, so we can't let the bad guys win.”
“We received at least 33 bomb threats, all of which we responded to, all of which turned out to be hoaxes,” DeWine said. “So that's 33 threats, 33 hoaxes. And I want to be clear, none of them were substantiated at all.”
He added that many of the threats were coming from overseas, particularly from one country he did not name.
“Unfortunately, there are individuals overseas, some of whom are coming from certain countries, who see this as another opportunity to disrupt the United States,” he added. “So we can't let the bad guys win.”
The findings undermine a theory that the threats were a response to accusations made repeatedly by Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, that Haitian immigrants were eating Springfield residents' pets. The city canceled a planned festival. response for bomb threats.
The city's police department, mayor and city manager have denied reports that pets were eaten. DeWine, a Republican, said: Denial Accusation.
“The Haitians who are working are people who can't work unless they're legal,” DeWine said at a press conference. “They're family-oriented people. They're education-oriented people. They're hard-working people and I think we should respect that.”
He also said there are legitimate criticisms about immigration, particularly the crisis at the southern border, and acknowledged there are challenges related to the influx of Haitians into Ohio.
“Much of this work is ongoing, and I'm not saying there aren't challenges,” he added, “but we embrace the challenges.”
Full Video DeWine's speech It was released on YouTube.
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