The aftermath of JD Vance's claims about Springfield, Ohio being overtaken by Haitian immigrants continues to pour in. Several prominent conservative figures have echoed the debunked rumor, and the Arizona GOP put up 12 billboards across Phoenix depicting kittens in cow costumes with the slogan "Eat less kittens, vote Republican!", alluding to the claim that Haitians were eating residents' cats.
One incident cited by both Vance and Donald Trump as an example of Springfield being overtaken by immigrants involved about Aiden Clark, an 11-year old kid who died in 2023 when he was thrown from a school bus after crashing against a minivan driven by Hermanio Joseph, who is Haitian.
"REMEMBER: 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," said Trump in the caption that accompanied pictures of both Clark and Joseph. Later on, Vance referred to Aiden in another post on X, saying that "a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant."
REMEMBER: 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. pic.twitter.com/1vnTGpw7aH
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 9, 2024
But now a video of Aiden's dad, Nathan, has gone viral: in it he publicly condemns Trump and Vance for exploiting his son's death to spread what he described as hate and misinformation, going as far as to call them "morally bankrupt". Speaking at a Springfield City Commission meeting, Clark also clarified that his son was accidentally killed, not murdered:
"My son was not murdered He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti. This tragedy is felt all over this community, the state and even the nation, but don't spend this towards hate."
Nathan Clark, the father of an 11-year-old killed when an immigrant's van crashed into a school bus in Springfield, Ohio, lashed out at Donald Trump and JD Vance, calling them "morally bankrupt" politicians spreading hate at the expense of his son, Aiden. https://t.co/6WJSNwlfay pic.twitter.com/3yPj4xRa2W
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 11, 2024
As The New York Times reports, Aiden Clark's death in August 2023 has fueled heated debates in Springfield, a town that has seen a significant influx of Haitian immigrants in recent years. While some residents have expressed concerns about the rapid arrival, others have used the tragedy to voice unfounded accusations against the immigrant community. More than 20 students were also injured when Mr. Josephs minivan struck the school bus en route to school last year.
During his speech, Clark expressed his wish that his son's death had not been politicized, calling out Vance, Trump and two more politicians by name: Bernie Moreno, the Ohio Republican nominee for the Senate; and Representative Chip Roy, a Republican of Texas.
"They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims that fluffy cats are being ravaged and eaten by community members," Mr. Clark said. "They are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio. I will listen to them one more time to hear their apologies."
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