Sen.JD Vance, former President Donald Trump's 2024 running mate, continues to fuel the firestorm surrounding Springfield, Ohio, with false claims about Haitian migrants.Vance first spread unsubstantiated rumors of Haitian migrants eating pets on Sept.
9, despite one of his staffers being informed that same day by a city official that such comments were "baseless."Since then, he's continued to attack the Haitian population there as "illegal" despite their legal protected status and accused them of spreading infectious diseases in the community.MORE: Springfield conspiracy theories underscore the evolution of GOP rhetoric on immigrationOhio officials, including Republican Gov.Mike DeWine, have pushed back on some of Vance's remarks as they deal with the fallout of threats and other security issues.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue on Thursday added temporary emergency powers to ensure the safety of residents amid risks from the spotlight on the area.Here's a closer look at what Trump's running mate has claimed.Republican vice presidential nominee Sen.JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks at a campaign event in Raleigh, N.C., Sept.
18, 2024.Karl B Deblaker/APOverall, communicable diseases have decreasedAccording to county health records encompassing Springfield, total reportable infectious disease cases declined between 2022 and 2023.Clark County Health Commissioner Chris Cook told ABC News in an email that preliminary numbers of reportable infectious diseases as a whole for 2024 "are tracking similar to last year."But on social media, Vance has claimed there has been a "massive rise" in communicable diseases.At times, he's specifically singled out increases in HIV and tuberculosis.The records show that vaccine-preventable diseases, infectious disease cases (without COVID) and sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) in 2023 were all lower than what they were during the Trump administration.Tuberculosis cases, which Vance specifically cited, rose by one between 2022 and 2023.
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