Republican Ohio governor: Trump, Vance comments about Haitian migrants 'very hurtful'

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) said Tuesday that baseless claims by former President Trump and his vice presidential running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), about Haitian immigrants eating pets are “not helpful” and “deeply hurtful” to the people of Springfield.

DeWine, who supports the Republican presidential nominee, was asked in an interview on NewsNation's “Cuomo” to advise Trump and Vance on how to “handle the repeated allegations that he ate pets in Springfield.”

“They're very hurtful. They're very hurtful for the people,” Gov. DeWine told host Chris Cuomo. “They're hurting for the people of Springfield, they're hurting for the people of Haiti who are working there every day.”

Governor DeWine hosted a breakfast with local Haitian immigrant employers and said, “They told us they work so hard, they're so focused, they care about their families.”

“It's very hard on them and some of them are scared,” he continued.

The Republican governor stressed that he was not offering advice to the Trump-Vance campaign, but added that he thought it was wise for Republican candidates to talk about border issues, but cautioned against allowing those discussions to devolve into fabricated rumors that could hurt certain communities.

“When people ask me for advice, I don't typically tell them how to run a campaign,” DeWine said. “I think the border is a big issue. It's a very legitimate issue. I think the Biden administration is not handling it well, I think they're failing. I think it's very relevant to talk about it, and I think people want to hear about it.”

“But this act of eating dogs and cats is really hurtful,” he added. “It doesn't help the people of Springfield.”

Trump mentioned the city during last week's presidential debate, repeating his false claim that Haitian immigrants eat people's pets. Vance first brought the rumor into mainstream political debate and has since doubled down on it.

Governor DeWine has vociferously denied the allegations in numerous media interviews over the past few days, but has largely avoided criticizing the Republican presidential nominee, instead emphasizing that while the statements are untrue, he was right to criticize the Biden administration over its border policy.

The Buckeye State governor also said the Springfield community has faced serious challenges and strained its resources due to the recent influx of Haitian immigrants, but he argues the spread of unfounded rumors is only adding to the challenges the community faces.

“The mayor says there's no evidence. The police chief says there's no evidence. The city manager says there's no evidence,” he said Tuesday. “There's no evidence. There's no evidence at all.”

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for response.

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