The father of an 11-year-old boy who was killed in a car accident last year is demanding that Republicans stop using the tragedy to score political points.
Speaking at a city commission meeting on Tuesday Nathan Clark, of Springfield, Ohio, called out “morally bankrupt” politicians like Donald Trump and JD Vance for forcing his family to relive the tragedy by using his son as a “political tool” to smear Haitian immigrants.
Last year, Clark’s son, Aiden, died after a vehicle driven by a Haitian immigrant struck his school bus.
“I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man. I bet you never thought anyone would ever say something so blunt,” Clark said at Tuesday’s meeting. “But if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone.”
“The last thing that we need is to have the worst day of our lives, violently and constantly shoved in our faces,” he continued. “But even that’s not good enough for them. They take it one step further. They make it seem as though our wonderful Aiden appreciates your hate. That we should follow their hate.”
Springfield, Ohio has seen a large increase in migrants arriving in the past few years under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. According to Springfield police, between 12,000 and 15,000 Haitians live in the city legally under TPS.
Clark urged the Republican ticket and other GOP candidates, including Senate hopeful Bernie Moreno, to stop using this family’s tragedy to attack Haitian migrants .
On Tuesday, Vance mentioned Aiden’s death to justify is baseless smear on Haitian immigrants alleging that they’re killing and eating pets in Ohio in a post on X, writing that “a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant.”
The Trump War Room X account also posted a photo of Aiden next to an image of the man who was found guilty of causing the accident that killed him.
“This needs to stop now,” Clark said. “They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants. The border crisis, and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio. I will listen to them one more time to hear their apologies.”
“To clear the air, my son, Aiden Clark, was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti,” he added. “This tragedy is felt all over this community, this state and even the nation. But don’t spin this towards hate.”
Hermanio Joseph, the Haitian immigrant who was driving the vehicle that crashed into the bus, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
“In order to live like Aiden, you need to accept everyone, choose to shine, make the difference, lead the way and be the inspiration,” Clark said Tuesday. “What many people in this community and state and nation are doing is the opposite of what we should be doing. Sure we have our problems here in Springfield and in the U.S., but does Aiden Clark have anything to do with that?”
