The Republicans' latest political gambit is to fear-monger about a supposed influx of nefarious Haitian immigrants who are terrorizing the town of Springfield, Ohio, a claim for which there is vanishingly little evidence.
That hasn't stopped them from repeating the claims ad nauseum—and even going so low as to use the tragic accidental death of an 11-year-old boy, Aiden Clark, as part of their anti-immigration rhetoric.
In a post on X, JD Vance recently claimed that Aiden Clark was “murdered by a Haitian migrant" while justifying his and Trump's virulently racist and xenophobic anti-immigrant rhetoric.
But that is a lie. Clark died in a Springfield traffic accident last year after a Haitian immigrant crashed into his school bus.
And his father, Nathan Clark, has had enough of Donald Trump and JD Vance turning his son into a political prop.
During a recent city council meeting in Springfield, Aiden's father Nathan Clark used the podium to denounce Trump and Vance and demand they apologize for dishonoring his son's death. He told those at the meeting:
“Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose..."
He then slammed Trump and Vance for having "spoken my son’s name and used his death for political gain."
“This needs to stop now. They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members."
"However they are not allowed... to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio. I will listen to [Trump and Vance] one more time to hear their apologies.”
Clark then went on to set the record straight on his son.
"My son Aiden Clark was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti. This tragedy is felt all over this community, this state and even this country."
"But don't spin this towards hate. In order to live like Aiden, you need to accept everyone."
He went on to explain that multiculturalism was one of Aiden's greatest interests, and lamented that Trump and Vance had robbed him of the ability to "protect his memory when he's gone."
Unsurprisingly, neither Vance nor Trump, via their spokespeople, showed even a basic level of empathy or humanity in their responses to Clark's comments.
Speaking to NBC News, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt did not even address the subject when asked, instead criticizing the "liberal mainstream media" for not sufficiently covering the "very real suffering and tragedies" of Springfield, Ohio, which even Republican residents of Springfield say Republicans have dishonestly exaggerated.
Luke Schroeder, a spokesperson for Vance, took a different tack in response to NBC's questions, demanding Vice President Kamala Harris apologize to Springfield residents who are supposedly victims of crimes committed by immigrants.
On social media, Nathan Clark's words deeply resonated with pretty much everyone with a conscience and sense of decency.
Like clockwork, in response to Clark's plea to leave his fallen son out of their political games, MAGA Republicans online have viciously attacked him, proving once again that there is no bottom when it comes to the depths of depravity in the MAGA movement.
@thejenniwren.teamlh.social/Bluesky
@NancyMace/X