An upstart Republican challenging U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in a high-stakes race that could decide control of Capitol Hill blamed the Harris-Biden administration Saturday for causing Springfield’s now notorious migrant crisis.
“We need to make sure we have empathy for people in all corners in the world that suffer,” said GOP candidate Bernie Moreno during a rally Saturday at a restaurant in Springfield, Ohio.
“The legal Haitians here across our country are being disparaged now, and were put into a bad situation by people like Kamala Harris and Sherrod Brown — they are the disgrace.
“Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and their No. 1 ally Sherrod Brown have created a mass immigration that is completely unacceptable,” added the 57-year-old car dealer.
Moreno’s remarks come as Springfield, which is located roughly 50 miles west of Columbus, has entered the national spotlight over its migrant crisis.
Republican nominee Donald Trump highlighted the city’s influx of 60,000 Haitian migrants during Tuesday’s presidential debate with Democratic nominee Harris.
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” insisted the ex-president during a response to a question about immigration. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
Local officials and multiple media outlets have since disputed Trump’s claim, but many longtime Springfield residents have complained that the thousands of Haitian refugees who’ve arrived there don’t understand local laws and customs – including how to drive safely.
