Violent, anti-immigrant rhetoric elevated by Donald Trump and J.D. Vance has led to 33 bomb threats shutting down schools and government buildings in Springfield, Ohio. But on Tuesday, the Democratic presidential nominee chose to not make a big fuss out of the local ordeal, telling reporters at the National Association of Black Journalists that she was upset to find out that elementary-age children had to be evacuated during school photo day.
“It’s a crying shame,” Harris said. “I mean, my heart breaks for this community.”
“You know, there were children, elementary school children, who, it was school photo day, you remember what that’s like?” Harris said, turning toward the audience. “Going to school on picture day, who are dressed up in their best, got all ready, knew what they were going to wear the night before, and had to be evacuated. Children!”
Harris then lamented the thoughtless rhetoric that has contributed to the volatile environment, but failed to name names for the perpetrators behind it. Instead, she explained how, as a prosecutor, she learned how her words “had meaning” and that the selection of her words could impact whether someone “was free or in prison.”
“A whole community put in fear,” Harris said.
Kamala Harris on the bomb threats made at schools in Springfield, Ohio due racist lies about immigrants:
— The Recount (@therecount) September 17, 2024
"It's a crying shame. I mean, my heart breaks for this community. ... There were elementary school children who, it was school photo day ... and had to be evacuated." pic.twitter.com/LnIi7daR2j
So far, the epicenter of the conspiracy theory—Springfield—has received at least 33 bomb threats since the top of the conservative ticket started pushing the idea that Haitian immigrants were eating their neighbors’ pets.
Springfield shut down two of its elementary schools Monday, while two local colleges switched to all virtual classes and activities. The city also canceled its annual CultureFest due to safety concerns.
The city saw even more closures last week. Springfield evacuated two elementary schools and closed a middle school on Friday after receiving information from the Springfield Police Division. The day before, several other schools and a significant portion of Springfield’s government facilities—including City Hall, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Ohio License Bureau, the Springfield Academy of Excellence, and Fulton Elementary School—were shut down due to bomb threats.
On Sunday, Vance effectively admitted that the anti-immigration conspiracy was bogus. Meanwhile, multiple city officials and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine have categorically denied the conspiracy.
