The father of an 11-year-old Springfield, Ohio boy who was killed in a bus accident involving a Haitian immigrant wants Republicans to stop using his son as a “political tool,” and apologize for doing so, he said in a speech on Tuesday.
“I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man. I bet you never thought anyone would say something so blunt, but if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone,” he said before the Springfield City Commission on Tuesday.
In 2023, Clark's son Aidan’s school bus was accidentally struck by a minivan driven by Hermanio Joseph, a Haitian immigrant in Springfield, Ohio. Joseph was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Aiden’s death has since been used by Republicans including vice-presidential nominee JD Vance and other Republicans to spread anti-immigration rhetoric and hate, falsely claiming that Aiden was “murdered by a Haitian migrant.” On Monday, Donald Trump's X account posted about Aiden.
"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. Kamala Harris has refused to say Aiden's name," the post reads.
It's exactly kind of message Clark wants to stop. “Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose,” Clark said.
Claiming Aidan’s death as murder is one of many baseless claims Republicans have spread about Haitian immigrants, the most absurd of which is a rumor that Haitian migrants in Springfield are eating ducks and pet cats.
“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," Clark said before asking Trump and Vance for an apology.
