The GOP vice-presidential nominee sidestepped questions regarding the controversial gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson.
On Monday, JD Vance delivered conflicting messages as he continued to defend baseless rumors about Haitian immigrants allegedly stealing and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
The Ohio senator, who is Republican Donald Trump’s running mate for vice president, criticized the media for investigating and debunking these claims, while simultaneously lamenting the lack of media efforts to uncover the truth.
Vance expressed these contradictory views in North Carolina, a key battleground state.
“I wish the American media was half as interested in the stress on local schools, hospitals, and unaffordable housing as they are in debunking a story from Springfield residents,” Vance stated at a rally.
He claimed that Springfield residents who reported these incidents were reluctant to reveal their identities for fear of media scrutiny.
Addressing reporters directly, he asked: “Have you ever considered listening to people instead of harassing them? … Have you ever thought about hearing people speak their truth instead of relying on bureaucrats and assuming their word is true?”
Notably, Vance omitted mentioning a local resident who, after filing a police report that contributed to the spread of these racist rumors, later admitted to finding her cat in the basement.
“It’s about investigating the truth, and unfortunately, too few reporters do that today,” Vance remarked.
Reporters, however, did reach out to knowledgeable sources to dispel the harmful conspiracy theories perpetuated by Trump and Vance.
“There’s no reason for us other than to tell you the truth. We care about our community,” Springfield Mayor Rob Rue told CNN on Monday. “We don’t want lies spread around like has happened for the last 12 to 13 days.”
Vance also avoided directly answering a question about North Carolina’s troubled GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, who allegedly referred to himself as a “Black Nazi” and admitted to secretly watching women shower.
“Will you continue to support Mark Robinson in this campaign?” a reporter inquired.
“I’ll continue to support the people of North Carolina,” Vance replied. “That’s what my job is as their next vice president.”
The topic arose again, and Vance attempted to deflect the issue.
Skip ahead to 28:20 to hear Vance’s comments on Springfield:
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