Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is trying to paint a different picture of Springfield and its “rich history” than the false claims made by former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
“Springfield has a rich history of providing refuge and opportunity to the downtrodden,” DeWine said in the op-ed. Published Friday's New York Times article.
In a piece titled “I'm the Governor of Ohio and I don't know what Springfield Trump and Vance are talking about,” the Buckeye State leader said it was “unfortunate” that rumors were spreading about Haitian immigrants eating pets.
“It saddens me that Springfield has become the epicenter of such fierce criticism of America's immigration policies,” he wrote, “because it has long been a diverse community.”
DeWine said he was “saddened” by the allegations being amplified given his support for Republican candidates, including during a debate with Democratic rival Vice President Harris earlier this month.
“As a supporter of former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance, I am saddened that they and others continue to disparage legal immigrants living in Springfield and repeat claims that lack evidence,” he said. “Such rhetoric harms our city and the people who live there and have spent their entire lives there.”
The governor also accused the Biden administration of “failing to control the southern border” and condemned “verbal attacks” against the Haitian people.
“The Biden Administration's failure to control the southern border is a very important issue that Trump and Vance have spoken about and one that the American people rightly and deeply care about,” DeWine wrote, “But their verbal attacks on Haitians who are in the United States legally undermine and cloud the arguments that should be won about the border.”
According to CNN, the city has received at least 30 bomb threats since the unfounded allegations.ReportedMonday.
In his essay, Governor DeWine called the bomb threat a “hoax” and said it led to the temporary closure of at least two schools, the dispatch of state police, a hospital being put on lockdown and city hall being closed.
After speaking with several police officers after the first day, Governor DeWine said the teachers told him, “Yesterday was a hard day. Today is a good day.”
He also noted the economic hardships the city experienced in the late 1900s and how Haitian immigrants who have arrived in recent years have helped the city by creating jobs.
“They are there legally. They are there to work,” he wrote.
In his essay, DeWine also described a visit he and his wife, Fran, made to Haiti.
“We know that the Haitian people want the same things we all do: good jobs, the opportunity to receive a quality education, and the ability to raise their families in a safe and secure environment,” he wrote. “Haitian immigrants come to Springfield because of the jobs and the chances for a better life there.”
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
