As the GOP machine, including Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance, continues to push unsubstantiated claims that Haitian immigrants are stealing and eating locals' pets in Springfield, Ohio, the state's governor is shoring up security for the city. On Monday, GOP Gov. Mike DeWine announced he was sending three dozen state troopers to Springfield, mainly to assure parents there that their kids are safe, after more than 30 threats were lobbed at city schools, as well as at City Hall and a couple of hospitals, reports the New York Times.
"Look, parents are scared, and when parents are scared, we need to react," the governor told CBS News, though he noted, per the Times, that the threats so far don't have "any validity at all." DeWine continued: "The added security will help ease some of the fears caused by these hoaxes." The Republican governor, who has pushed back on the unfounded rumors swirling around Springfield, said that, starting Tuesday, the troopers will sweep 17 schools in the Springfield area before they open each day, and patrol until school is dismissed. The AP notes that surveillance cameras have also been posted at "strategic spots" in Springfield, and that a bomb-sniffing canine is on deck if needed.
At least two local colleges have turned to remote classes this week after also receiving threats, and the city's annual two-day CultureFest set for later this month has now been nixed over security concerns. "If they just backed off their words a little bit, this could help our environment," Springfield Mayor Rob Rue tells CBS of the continued dissemination of the false claims. "We need help, not hate." DeWine said in a statement that many of the threats seem to be coming from "overseas," from "those who want to fuel the current discord" in his city. "We cannot let the bad guys win," DeWine added, per the Times. (More Springfield stories.)