Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance says Kamala Harris is trying to silence the American community overrun by illegal immigrants by downplaying concerns about reports that migrants are eating residents’ pets.
The unusual story has dominated the news since wild complaints emerged from Springfield, Ohio, about migrants, mainly from Haiti, capturing and eating pets such as cats and ducks.
Former President Donald Trump even brought up the topic in last week’s debate, claiming that migrants were “eating the city dogs.”
But Vice President Harris went a step further, claiming in an interview on Tuesday that Vance and Trump’s “hateful rhetoric” was to blame for a surge in more than 30 bomb threats at schools in the same community.
DailyMail.com asked Vance to respond to Harris’ allegations at a campaign rally on Tuesday, as boos and jeers broke out in the Wisconsin crowd.
Vance, who is from Ohio, responded that Harris is “disgraceful” for downplaying the reports and claims he and Trump have heard from hundreds of residents making the same claims.
Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance says Kamala Harris is trying to silence an American community overrun by illegal immigrants
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As the story gained national attention, the Ohio city received 35 to 40 bomb threats.
However, Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine said this week that the threats are “hoaxes” and all coming from “foreign countries.”
“Vice President Harris said again today that ‘hateful rhetoric’ about migrants eating pets is the cause of the bomb threats to Springfield. Can you comment on the latest news?” DailyMail.com asked Vance at a rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Tuesday.
When they heard the Democratic vice president’s name, the pro-MAGA crowd got excited and started cheering.
“That’s basically my reaction,” Vance said. “Put that in the paper — a big boo and two thumbs down. That’s my reaction to what Kamala Harris said.”
“Look, you guys are going to get me pumped up. I was ready to go,” he said as he wrapped up his final campaign stop Tuesday after visiting Sparta, Michigan earlier in the day.
The unusual story has dominated the news since complaints emerged from Springfield, Ohio, about migrants, mainly from Haiti, capturing and eating cats and ducks.
Vance then responded more seriously, telling DailyMail.com, where hundreds of attendees were present: “What happened in Springfield is not just outrageous because it made people’s lives worse.”
“What happened is outrageous because of the way Kamala Harris and her media allies tried to silence people from complaining that life in their own communities in their own country has gotten worse.”
“Think about this. The argument was that because Donald Trump and I — and the many, many hundreds of Springfield residents we’ve spoken to over the last few weeks — because we dared to point out that life has gotten worse for those citizens, that somehow we bear the blame because a psychopath called in a bomb threat,” Vance continued.
He claimed: ‘The media is literally laundering foreign disinformation in an attempt to silence the citizens of their own country and prevent them from participating in an American election. It is despicable and it must stop.’
Harris was asked about the growing controversy in Springfield during a question-and-answer forum hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia.
“It’s a disgrace. I mean, my heart breaks for this community,” she said, recalling that schools were closed on “school picture day.”
Harris remembers being in school as a child during “picture day” and being even more saddened that the event was disrupted.
Harris was asked about the growing controversy in Springfield while attending a question-and-answer forum held by the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia
“Do you remember what that was like?” Harris asked, demonstrating what it was like to get dolled up for a special occasion by swaying her shoulders. “Going to school the day of the picture? Dressed in their best, all set up, knowing the night before what they were going to wear?”
The controversy in Springfield arose after former President Donald Trump claimed during last week’s presidential debate that some migrants were eating “the dogs,” “cats” and “pets” in the community.
Trump was accused of making “baseless” allegations after his claims went viral on social media, while his supporters portrayed him as a champion of protecting their pets by sharing cat memes generated by AI.
Harris blamed Trump for the bomb threats, even though Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine described them as not credible and mostly coming from abroad.
“They had to be evacuated. Children. Children,” she wailed. “A whole community in fear.”