Ohio Senator JD Vance, who is running for vice president alongside Donald Trump, doubled down on controversial and baseless claims about Haitian migrants during a recent interview. Despite facing criticism, Vance expressed frustration with local officials over their handling of the migrant crisis in Springfield, Ohio, where unverified allegations have led to significant turmoil.
Refusing to Apologize for Baseless Conspiracy Theories
During an interview with New York Times podcaster Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Vance was pressed on whether he regretted helping spread false rumors about Haitian migrants abducting and eating pets. These conspiracy theories sparked panic, leading to bomb threats and school closures in Springfield, a city of roughly 60,000 residents. Rather than apologize, Vance criticized American leaders, claiming they are more concerned about migrants than about their own citizens.
“It is disgraceful that American leaders pretend they care about these migrants more than they care about the people they took an oath of office to actually look after,” Vance said.
Tensions with Local Leaders
Among those Vance targeted in his remarks were Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine—both Republicans—who have worked to debunk the claims made by Vance and Trump. DeWine, however, has endorsed the Trump-Vance ticket. Vance later clarified that he was not referring to DeWine in his criticisms.
Asked if the consequences of these false allegations—including the bomb threats—were justified, Vance pointed to issues Springfield residents were facing, such as rising housing costs, longer medical wait times, and overcrowded schools. He attributed these problems to the arrival of Haitian migrants, despite the fact that most of these individuals are in the U.S. legally under the Immigration Parole Program, which grants them temporary protected status.
Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Escalates on Campaign Trail
Both Vance and Trump have continued to push nativist rhetoric throughout their campaign, tapping into immigration as a hot-button issue for Republican voters. During a rally in Aurora, Colorado, Trump repeated false claims that a Venezuelan gang had “conquered” the Denver suburb and accused Vice President Kamala Harris of resettling “illegal alien gang members” across the country to “prey upon innocent American citizens.”
Trump has vowed to oversee the largest mass deportation in U.S. history if elected. His immigration plan includes invoking a 1798 act to deport undocumented immigrants affiliated with gangs, a tactic he described during the rally.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, there were approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. in 2022, but both Trump and Vance have insisted that the true number is much higher, often claiming the figure exceeds 20 million without providing credible evidence.
Vance’s Vision for Mass Deportations
In his interview with Garcia-Navarro, Vance suggested that deporting about 1 million people per year would be “reasonable.” He added that not all undocumented immigrants would need to be forcibly removed, suggesting that policies such as taxing remittances and restricting work opportunities could encourage “voluntary departures.”
As immigration continues to dominate the Trump-Vance campaign’s talking points, critics argue that their inflammatory rhetoric risks further destabilizing communities and spreading misinformation.
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