Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami dismissed the “mistakes” made by Republicans about false claims about Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, and criticized the media for focusing on “peripheral aspects” of a larger incident.
“So when people have heated exchanges about important issues that affect the American people, they're going to say things in ways that haven't been practiced, rehearsed, tested through the vetting and filtering of consultants,” Ramaswami said at a news conference in Springfield on Friday. Fox News Digital“And I think that's a good thing. I think it's better to make the mistake of saying something too graphic than to self-censor and say too much.”
Ramaswami traveled to Springfield to meet with city officials and Haitian community leaders, then met with city residents to discuss crime and safety.
The entrepreneur's visit comes as the Ohio city has been in the spotlight for unsubstantiated claims about the Haitians who live there, including the false claim that Haitians eat pets, spread by some politicians, including former President Trump and vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
“And I think in this case the media has stuck to the fringes of the debate,” Ramaswami says, “using some side stories that are really far removed from the most important issues here to try to obscure the actual real challenges that have been created by not just small-scale but large-scale migration into the region.”
Springfield receives at least 30 bomb threats, CNN Reported Two more universities and at least two schools were temporarily closed on Monday. City officials said the allegations were unfounded. Mayor Rob Lew also declared a state of emergency on Thursday.
Ramaswami said the influx of about 20,000 people into Springfield has put a strain on the city's resources.
“This is a reality,” he said. “This is not an issue that can be glossed over by just taking a quote that somebody said and pretending that it's a true story but not focusing on the actual true story. So that's one of my goals for this visit.”
