SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – A long line has formed Thursday night to get into a small basement room in Springfield where former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will soon hold a town hall.
Ramaswamy held a press conference beforehand with the media after he said he met with members of the Haitian community in Springfield and will soon meet with the city’s mayor and city officials. When asked his thoughts about the false and debunked allegations of pets being eaten by Haitian immigrants, he didn’t answer the question, saying he was there to talk about the impact of immigration on the community.
“I”m not here to talk about the issues the media loves to obsess over,” Ramaswamy said.
Ahead of the town hall, the city’s mayor Thursday urged attendees to gather peacefully and be responsible about sharing information about Springfield.
“Words, particularly when based on false claims harm not only individuals, but entire communities like Springfield,” said Mayor Rob Rue, a Republican like Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy’s event, open to the public, is taking place in the industrial Ohio town at the center of the nation’s immigration debate and presidential race.
Ramaswamy’s team is “inviting diverse voices from the local community, including Haitian immigrants,” to the town hall, according to a press release.
The mayor joined Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine at a 3 p.m. press conference where they urged people to stop spreading misinformation. They also warned that resources were strained in the western Ohio city, partly due to several dozen bomb threats in recent days.
Who is Vivek Ramaswamy?
Since ending his presidential campaign in January after a fourth-place finish in the Iowa Caucuses, Ramaswamy hasn’t announced his future political plans. During the Republican National Convention, said he’d “strongly consider” running for senator in Ohio if Sen. JD Vance should become vice president.
Raised in Evendale, outside Cincinnati, Ramaswamy now lives in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington.
What’s happening in Springfield, Ohio?
Since President Donald Trump and his running mate, Vance, amplified debunked rumors about Haitians eating pets, bomb threats have closed buildings around town, including Springfield City Hall and multiple elementary schools.
Town officials have said there’s no evidence of any Haitians eating people’s pets.
The Haitians in Springfield emigrated legally and “no government entity is responsible for the influx,” according to Springfield’s own immigration FAQ page.
The immigrants came for the city’s “lower cost of living and available work,” Springfield officials have said, per the immigration FAQ page.
Springfield, Ohio officials denounce misinformation
Rue and DeWine have urged politicians to stop spreading misinformation about the town and the Haitian population.
“We did not have threats seven days ago,” Rue said on Tuesday at a press conference with DeWine. “We did not have these concerns seven days ago. We did not have these hundreds and hundreds of dollars spent in Springfield from the state of Ohio in support seven days ago. We do today.”
After word spread that Trump might visit the town, Rue, in a press conference with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, urged the presidential candidates not to come, saying Springfield’s resources are stretched thin.
“If either one of the candidates wanted to come Springfield, it would be very, very difficult to have them here,” Rue said. “It would be an extreme strain on our resources. So it would be fine with me if they decided not to make that stop right now.”
Who will be at town hall event in Springfield?
The cofounder of Moms for Liberty, Tiffany Justice, sent out a press release on Wednesday that she’ll take part in the town hall.
Moms for Liberty, a national nonprofit and dark money group based in Florida, has chapters nationwide with activists known for their strong opposition to school curriculum that promotes diversity and the LGBTQ community. Its members often object to book offerings in school libraries.
The Enquirer will update this story
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Springfield, Ohio town hall hosted by Vivek Ramaswamy
