JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, defended his contentious statements about Haitian immigrants during a rally in Wisconsin, addressing the widespread criticism that followed his remarks. Vance had previously alleged that immigrants from Haiti had been eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, comments that were widely condemned as inflammatory and baseless.
Speaking to supporters in Eau Claire, Vance doubled down on his remarks, asserting that it was the media’s responsibility, not his, to verify such claims. “The media has a responsibility to fact-check,” Vance said, maintaining his stance.
His statements came just days after he told CNN’s Dana Bash that “creating stories” was sometimes necessary to draw attention to pressing issues. The original claim, which insinuated that Haitian immigrants were responsible for harming pets in Springfield, had no evidence to support it and faced significant backlash.
At the rally, Vance defended his approach, stating that several constituents had expressed concerns about the alleged incident. “As a United States senator, it’s my job to listen to my constituents when their concerns are being ignored,” he argued. He also lashed out at the media, accusing journalists of dishonesty and manipulating the narrative. “When I said I created a story, I was talking about getting the media to focus on what’s happening in Springfield,” he clarified to the approval of the crowd.
Throughout his speech, Vance focused heavily on immigration, using an incident involving a crime committed by an undocumented person in Wisconsin to argue that immigrant-related crime was on the rise. “Every community is a border state,” he said, emphasizing the impact of immigration on the entire country. Despite research showing no correlation between higher crime rates and immigrant populations, Vance used the anecdote to bolster his tough stance.
Vance also directed blame at Vice President Kamala Harris, holding her responsible for what he described as a nationwide immigration crisis. “The problems that Kamala Harris has imported through that American southern border have now gone nationwide,” he said. He further escalated his criticism by suggesting that Harris’s policies had led to an attempted assassination of Donald Trump and warned that the rhetoric from Democrats and the media could provoke further violence.
Additionally, Vance issued a stark warning about the country’s safety under Harris’s leadership, stating that the U.S. was closer to nuclear war or World War III than ever before, and placing the blame on Harris’s “chaos and incompetence.”
His immigration remarks and sharp criticism of the media resonated with the audience. Victoria Bischel, a farmer and business owner, voiced her agreement, emphasizing the need for lawful immigration. “I believe in immigration, but it has to be legal,” she said.
As Vance and the Republican ticket continue to tour battleground states, his comments on immigration and his sharp rebukes of the media are likely to remain focal points of their campaign leading up to the 2024 election.
