Bus crash victim’s father reprimands Trump and Vance for politicizing son’s death

Nathan Clark, whose son was killed in an Ohio bus crash last year, on Tuesday told former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), to stop using his son’s death “as a political tool” to spread “hate” against immigrants.

At a Springfield City Commission meeting Tuesday, the grieving father said he wished his son, Aiden Clark, had been killed by a 60-year-old white man, rather than “accidentally killed” when a Haitian immigrant’s minivan struck the 11-year-old’s school bus.

“I bet you never thought anyone would ever say something so blunt,” Nathan Clark added in the 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,” Nathan Clark added, standing next to his wife in the public comment portion of the livestream regular meeting.

Immigration has been a controversial issue in Springfield, which has seen a large influx of Haitian immigrants settle in the community in recent years. The town has been at the center of a national political debate as Trump and Vance have put the border at the center of their campaign.

Vance this week referenced the death of Aiden Clark as he pushed back at criticism that he has spread false stories about Haitian immigrations in Springfield eating pets. Vance, in a post on X, said those rumors might not be true, but it was true that “a child had been murdered by a Haitian migrant.”

Nathan Clark on Tuesday described his son’s death as a tragic accident, saying Aiden “was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti.”

Aiden Clark was killed when a minivan driven by a Haitian immigrant went across lanes and crashed into his school bus. The man driving the minivan was convicted of involuntary manslaughter , according to a report in The New York Times.

Nathan Clark chastised “morally bankrupt” politicians – naming Trump, Vance, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno – for invoking his son’s name and for making “it seem as though our wonderful Aiden appreciates your hate, that we should follow their hate.”

“And look what you’ve done to us,” Nathan Clark continued. “We have to get up here and beg them to stop. Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose.”

“This needs to stop now. 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,” he said.

Nathan Clark called on the politicians to apologize, saying, “I will listen to them one more time” for that purpose, and he encouraged the public to live as Aiden did.

“This tragedy is felt all over this community, the state, and even the nation. But don’t spin this towards hate. In order to live like Aiden, you need to accept everyone. Choose to shine, make the difference, lead the way and be the inspiration. What many people in this community and state and nation are doing is the opposite of what you should be doing. Sure, we have our problems here in Springfield and in the US, but does Aiden Clark have anything to do with that?”

“One of the worst feelings in the world is to not be able to protect your child,” he added, wrapping up his remarks. “Even worse, we can’t even protect his memory when he’s gone. Please stop the hate. I said to Aiden that I would try to make a difference in his honor. This is it. Live like Aiden.”

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for a response.

The Haitians who have settled in Springfield live legally in the U.S. under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program.

Trump’s campaign earlier this week also referenced the incident.

“11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed on his way to school by a Haitian migrant that Kamala Harris let into the country in Springfield, Ohio. @KamalaHarris has refused to say Aiden’s name,” Trump’s campaign account posted Monday on the social platform X.

According to a frequently asked questions page managed by the Springfield police, between 12,000 and 15,000 Haitians live in the midwestern city legally, under the TPS program. Springfield city manager Bryan Heck in a separate letter Vance had cited, estimated that population to be between 15,000 and 20,000.

In June, the Biden administration expanded the TPS designation for Haiti , allowing an estimated 309,000 Haitians to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.

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