DeWine takes aim at Trump, Vance over Springfield claims
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine continued his criticism of former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance in a guest essay published in The New York Times on Friday for amplifying false claims that Haitian immigrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
"As a supporter of former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance, I am saddened by how they and others continue to repeat claims that lack evidence and disparage the legal migrants living in Springfield," DeWine wrote. "This rhetoric hurts the city and its people, and it hurts those who have spent their lives there."
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
After Vance posted the unverified claims on social media more than a week ago, Trump launched the situation into the stratosphere when he declared "they're eating the pets of the people that live there" during his presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Vance has defended bringing Springfield into the national spotlight . Local officials have said that the allegations are baseless.
In the essay, DeWine defended the Haitian migrants living in Springfield — "They are there legally. They are there to work." — and lamented how the city has become "the epicenter of vitriol over America's immigration policy."
The essay marks DeWine's strongest comments yet over Trump's role in thrusting the city into the national spotlight. During a Thursday press conference , the governor said he has not called Trump to discuss the claims, saying it "wouldn't do any good" if he did. Trump has said he wants to visit Springfield himself, which Mayor Rob Rue said would "undoubtedly place additional demands on our safety infrastructure."
DeWine, who received Trump's endorsement for reelection in 2022, wrote that Springfield has come to depend on Haitian migrants as dependable workers who "are fitting in with co-workers," adding that some businesses "would not have been able to stay open after the pandemic but for the Haitians who filled the jobs."
He also took aim at the Biden administration's "failure to control the southern border," but said that while Trump and Vance are "rightfully deeply concerned about" immigration, "their verbal attacks against these Haitians — who are legally present in the United States — dilute and cloud what should be a winning argument about the border."
In response to a request for comment, the Harris campaign referred POLITICO to her remarks during the debate on a bipartisan border security bill that fell apart earlier this year after Trump denounced it. "He preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem," Harris said during the debate.
DeWine also acknowledged the tension the influx of thousands of migrants has put on the city's infrastructure: "The health care system, housing market and school classrooms have been strained," he wrote. "There is a desperate need for more Haitian Creole translators. And ensuring that Haitians learn how to drive safely and understand our driving customs and traffic laws remains a top priority."
Last week, the governor announced he would dedicate $2.5 million to expand "primary care access for everyone living in Springfield" and directed the Ohio State Highway Patrol to support the Springfield Police Department with traffic enforcement.
On Monday, DeWine said he was sending 36 members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Mobile Field Force to secure Springfield's schools after several bomb threats rattled the city.
"This isn't just personal for a lot of us; it's about our pride in America," he wrote.
