GOP Governor Refuses to Condemn Trump and Vance for Spreading Hoax About His State: ‘I’m Not Here to Place Blame’

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declined to blame former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance for spreading a baseless rumor about Haitian immigrants.

On Sunday, the Ohio senator admitted to proliferating bogus stories about migrants in Springfield, Ohio “so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people.”

In particular, Vance has been the second-most prominent purveyor of the rumor that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are stealing people’s pets and eating them. The most famous spreader of the claim is Trump, who on Tuesday, mentioned the rumor in his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump claimed. “The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country.”

Afterward, bomb threats were called into multiple buildings in Springfield, including schools. The former president promised to initiate “large deportations” in the town, even though the Haitian migrants are there legally under Temporary Protected Status.

DeWine appeared on Monday’s edition of The Lead on CNN, where he was pressed by guest host Pamela Brown about the matter.

“You have called the false claims ‘ridiculous’ and said they need to stop,” Brown said. “How dangerous are these lies and do you place the blame on Trump and his running mate, JD Vance?”

DeWine dodged the question and pivoted to immigration and the border, calling them “legitimate” issues.

“And I think the president, certainly, and the vice presidential candidate have obligation to talk about… it,” the governor responded.

“This is separate from that,” Brown noted.

“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 if anyone eating a dog or any Haitians doing any of that. These Haitians that are there are legal. They work very, very hard. I met this morning with a number of business people who are employers, Haitians, and they tell me that they are really essential to them getting the job done.”

Brown tried again.

“Do you place any blame on Donald Trump or his running mate JD Vance?” she asked.

“Look, I’m not here to place blame,” DeWine replied. “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.”

DeWine went on to emphasize the “challenges” that Springfield faces and declined to blame Trump or Vance.

Watch above via CNN.

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