Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) refuses to condemn Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) for spreading the racist lie that Haitian migrants in the state are killing and eating pets.
Last week, Vance amplified the anti-migrant claim alleging that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were killing and eating residents’ pets. Trump further boosted the claim during the presidential debate last week Tuesday.
Since the debate, bomb threats were called into multiple buildings in Springfield, including schools and hospitals.
On Sunday, DeWine called the conspiracy theory a “piece of garbage that is simply not true”
“This discussion just has to stop,” he added. “We need to focus on moving forward and not dogs and cats being eaten. It’s just ridiculous.”
But, during an interview with CNN on Monday DeWine refused to blame Trump and Vance for promoting the theory in the first place.
“Do you place any blame on Donald Trump or his running mate JD Vance?” host Pamela Brown asked.
“Look, I’m not here to place blame,” DeWine responded, according to a clip shared by Mediaite. “I’m here to tell what we’re seeing on the ground. And look, there are challenges. We’ve got 15,000 extra people in a town of about 58,000.”
Pressed again on whether he blames the GOP ticket, DeWine pivoted to talk about immigration and the border, saying they are “legitimate” issues, adding “the president, certainly, and the vice presidential candidate have obligation to talk about it.”
“But my job, I think, is to reflect exactly what’s going on in Springfield,” DeWine continued. “So, the mayor tells us and the chief of police tells us there’s been no evidence at all of anyone eating a dog or any Haitians doing any of that.”
On Sunday, Vance admitted to creating the story about Haitian migrants eating pets “so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people.”
