'You are responsible': CBS host nails J.D. Vance as he calls to 'ignore' bomb threats
CBS News host Margaret Brennan grilled Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance after his false claim that Haitians were eating pets incited bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio.
The confrontation came during a Sunday interview on Face the Nation.
"On September 9th, you amplified what you said yourself were rumors about Haitian migrants eating pets," Brennan explained.
The CBS host noted that at least four schools and the Springfield City Hall had to be evacuated due to bomb threats.
"These false claims are endangering your constituents," Brennan told the candidate. "Do you regret your words?"
Vance insisted that he heard the rumors from his constituents.
"Now, maybe all of these constituents are lying to me, but I would appreciate if the American media showed up and did some real investigation rather than amplifying the worst people in the world," he said. "Why is somebody calling it a bomb threat, Margaret? It's because they want attention."
"I think that we should ignore these ridiculous psychopaths who are threatening violence on a small Ohio town and focus on the fact that we have a vice president who's not doing her job in protecting that small Ohio town."
Brennan noted that the Republican mayor of Springfield had expressed security concerns.
"He said, 'All these federal politicians that have negatively spun our city, they need to know they're hurting our city. And it was their words who did it,'" she reported.
"Your words, sir," the host told Vance. "Do you regret them?"
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"The problem here is not that Donald Trump and I have called out what's happened to Springfield," Vance insisted.
"I'm asking about your words, sir, which you are responsible for," Brennan pressed.
Vance said people in Springfield were "grateful for the fact that we are now talking about these problems and trying to solve them."
"Again, the Springfield mayor is a Republican," Brennan noted. "That's who I was quoting to you."
Watch the video below from CBS or at the link.