JD Vance upholds unsubstantiated allegation concerning Haitian migrants consuming animals as food.
In a chat with CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union," Vance referenced unverified tales told to him by his constituents as evidence for his claims, although he failed to present any actual proof.
Vance stated, "The American media completely disregarded this matter until Donald Trump and I started discussing cat memes. If I have to fabricate narratives just to receive the American media's attention, then that's what I'll do to highlight the struggles of the American people."
Bash challenged, "You just admitted that this is a fabricated story."
Vance clarified, "It's based on firsthand accounts from my constituents. I refer to it as creating a story, meaning we're drawing attention to it. I didn't create the 20,000 illegal migrants flooding Springfield due to Kamala Harris' policies. Her policies are responsible for that. However, we did create the focus for the American media to discuss this issue and the hardships caused by Kamala Harris' policies."
Springfield's official website suggests that around 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants are residing in Clark County, and Haitian immigrants are legally in the country as part of a parole program that allows families to bring family members from Haiti to the United States.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, refuted the allegations on Sunday and commended the immigrants' positive impact on the community.
"No, absolutely not," DeWine stated on ABC's "This Week" when asked if he had witnessed any instances of immigrants consuming pets.
"What we know is that the Haitians living in Springfield are legal immigrants who came to the city to work," DeWine said.
On Tuesday, Vance suggested that the claim about Haitian immigrants might not be accurate but encouraged his followers to continue sharing cat memes.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue asserted that the false statements are causing harm to the town's citizens and the community, and he finds it disconcerting that some of the rhetoric is coming from Vance.
Vance denied any involvement in inciting bomb threats.
"There's nothing I've said that has triggered threats against these hospitals, these bomb threats, and so forth," Vance said.
"The Springfield mayor is dealing with a lot of challenges. I understand his situation, and we're here to assist him. But he didn't accuse me of inciting a bomb threat; he simply didn't," Vance explained later in the conversation.
"All I'm doing is relaying the complaints of my constituents, people who are suffering due to Kamala Harris' policies. Aren't we allowed to discuss these problems because some unstable individuals are threatening violence?" Vance asked.
DeWine acknowledged that Springfield was grappling with integrating the influx of predominantly Haitian immigrants through the federal immigration program, but he assured that officials were addressing the issues.
"When you transition from a population of 58,000 to a population of 73,000 due to an influx of immigrants, you're going to encounter challenges and problems. And we're working on resolving those challenges every day," DeWine said during his ABC interview.
Vance mentioned that he was hearing directly from his constituents about various concerns, including a concern about geese.
"My constituents have raised approximately a dozen separate concerns with me. Ten of those concerns are proven and substantiated, and a couple of them I discuss because my constituents have informed me firsthand that they are experiencing these issues. So I have two choices, Dana, I can disregard them, which is what the American media has done for years to this community, or I can actually talk about the problems that people are sharing," Vance said.
"My approach is, listen to my constituents. Sometimes they share things that people don't like, but they're sharing things because their city has been overrun, and it's my responsibility to attempt to support them and protect them," Vance concluded.
CNN's Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
Vance's political rhetoric often revolves around addressing concerns raised by his constituents, as seen when he highlighted the issue of alleged illegal immigrants flooding Springfield. (first sentence)
Despite the controversial nature of some of Vance's political claims, such as those regarding Haitian immigrants in Springfield, he maintains that his role is to listen to and support his constituents. (second sentence)
