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JD Vance Scolds Reporter Over ‘Gotcha’ Question Regarding Overwhelmed Ohio City

By IMMIGRATION

Ohio Senator and Vice Presidential running mate JD Vance engaged in a heated exchange with a reporter over claims about the effects of mass immigration in Springfield, Ohio. During an interview following Tuesday night’s debate, NBC News reporter Yamiche Alcindor questioned Vance about his comments on migrants and their alleged impact on the city, which many saw as a “gotcha” moment.

The tense exchange quickly went viral, with Vance defending his position and criticizing what he described as a “disconnect” between media narratives and the experiences of Ohio residents. Springfield, Ohio—a city of 60,000—has reportedly seen an influx of up to 20,000 Haitian immigrants in recent years. This surge has been said to overwhelm local services, increase housing prices, and even contribute to mysterious animal disappearances.



During a recent debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump heightened these concerns by claiming, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats… they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” This statement ignited controversy, with some officials rejecting the allegations. Nonetheless, numerous Springfield residents have reported disturbing incidents involving local wildlife, sharing their personal observations.

What’s more, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Wednesday that he was surging state resources to help the city deal with the influx. “This afternoon, I outlined the support the state has been providing Springfield and Clark County related to the surge of Haitian migrants into the community. I also announced plans to expand primary healthcare access and traffic enforcement in the area,” he wrote on the X platform. “As we move forward, we will continue to do everything we can to help the community deal with this surge of migrants. The federal government has not demonstrated that they have any kind of plan to deal with the issue. We will not walk away.”

But none of that stopped Alcindor from attempting to shift blame for the problem — caused by the Biden-Harris regime and ignored by “border czar” Kamala Harris for years — to Vance for simply pointing out what his constituents are telling him. “Senator Vance, what do you say to Haitian Americans and Haitian immigrants who say spreading false claims about them puts their lives at risk?” Alcindor, who is with NBC News, asked.



Vance responded calmly but assertively, stating, “No one has spread false claims. What they’ve said is that a small migrant community, 20,000, so it’s big for the city of Springfield but it’s small compared to all Haitians in the United States of America, has caused a lot of problems. It’s led to higher rates of communicable diseases. That’s a verifiable fact. It’s led to animals disappearing. Many of my constituents have said that has been happening.”

Alcindor then pressed Vance, citing the city manager’s statement that there was “no evidence” of immigrants eating pets. Vance didn’t back down. “The city manager said there’s no verifiable evidence,” he acknowledged, “But a lot of residents on the ground have said that there is. That just means the city manager isn’t fully in touch with what’s going on. I’ve heard from many of my own constituents who have seen these things with their own eyes.”

Former President Trump’s running mate continued by criticizing the Biden administration’s approach to immigration, specifically targeting Harris, accusing her of inadequately managing the situation. “What do I think is a bigger problem? Insulting 20,000 people, or the fact that my constituents can’t live a good life because Kamala Harris opened the border? I think Kamala Harris needs to do her job,” Vance responded.

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Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.