Springfield, Ohio – former republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami He criticized the traditional media’s focus on the “marginal aspect” of the very real upheaval that occurred in Springfield, Ohio, as a result of the arrival of Haitian immigrants.
“I think there is a temptation, including in social media but also in traditional media, to pick up some of the fringe aspects of a really important discussion,” Ramaswami said. Fox News Digital during a press briefing on Thursday. “So when people are having heated discussions about an important topic that affects Americans, they’re going to say things that haven’t been rehearsed, practiced or tested through consultant-checks and filters. And I think that’s a good thing. I think it’s better that we make the mistakes of perhaps saying too much rather than self-censoring and saying too much too raw.”
He added, “And I think in this particular case the media has picked up some of the secondary elements of that discussion, hasn’t it? Some of the secondary issues that are really nowhere near the most important issue here, and they have been used to suppress the very real challenges that are being created by not just small but massive migration in this community.”
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy answers questions from the press during a press briefing in Springfield, Ohio on September 19, 2024. (Michael Swenson/Getty Images)
The Ohio native and Donald Trump supporter pointed to the arrival of an estimated 20,000 people to Springfield, a city of about 60,000, emphasizing that such an influx has strained the city’s resources and overwhelmed school and health care systems, as well as social services.
“This is true. This is not an issue that you can sweep under the rug… pick up what someone said and pretend that it’s the real story, while you’re failing to focus on the real story. So that’s one of my goals with this trip,” Ramaswami said at the town hall.
When he was asked that former president trump and his fellow Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, bear any responsibility for deflecting attention from key issues, Ramaswamy responded by emphasizing that the issues troubling Springfield were happening long before Trump’s debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, where his inflammatory allegations About Haitians went viral.
The influx of Haitians has raised a major security concern among Springfield residents
Ramaswamy met with Haitian community leaders and Springfield officials at City Hall before holding a town hall meeting with residents. (Joseph A. Wolfson/Fox News Digital)
She said she saw hope that the Biden-Harris administration’s federal policies were finally getting attention, even though “nobody” in the media was talking about them.
“And for the last two weeks we have been talking about this. Maybe it hasn’t yet been in a way that will help solve the problem, but I am hopeful that it will now take us to a stage of dialogue where we will find a real constructive solution,” Ramaswami said.
There is heavy flooding in Springfield. National media coverage Because the city’s struggle with the migrant crisis has become a key issue in the 2024 race.
Ramaswamy, who grew up in Ohio, arrived at City Hall to attend a meeting with Haitian community leaders and city officials before hosting a town hall with Springfield residents.
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami hosts a town hall in Springfield, Ohio, on September 19, 2024, as the city engages in 2024 politics. (Joseph A. Wolfson/Fox News Digital)
Many residents raised concerns Safety and crime in Springfield and accused city officials of not caring about the plight of their voters. Ramaswami defended city officials, citing information he gleaned from his meetings with some of them.
“I think they really care, at least the group I met with does,” Ramaswamy said. “But I’ll tell you what I see happening in the country. I think there’s really a culture of fear. I think the reason they’re not here tonight is not because they don’t care, but because they’re scared.”
“These are good, patriotic Americans who love their country and their city and are struggling because the people they elected to run their federal government have let them down. And you really don’t have to be afraid of being face-to-face with your fellow citizens,” he said.
Fox News’ Gabriel Hayes contributed to this report.
