An Ohio man whose son was killed in a 2023 school bus crash involving a Haitian immigrant called on Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and other conservative politicians to stop invoking his child’s name for political gain.
Nathan Clark, the father of 11-year-old Aiden Clark, denounced the “reprehensible” use of his son’s death in Springfield, Ohio, to stir up hatred toward immigrants.
“The last thing that we need is to have the worst day of our lives, violently and constantly shoved in our faces,” Nathan told the Springfield City Commission on Tuesday, Sept. 10, NBC affiliate WDTN reported. ”But even that’s not good enough for them. They take it one step further. They make it seem as though our wonderful Aiden appreciates your hate. That we should follow their hate.”
“And look what you’ve done to us. We have to get up here and beg them to stop,” Clark continued.
W”Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose. And speaking of morally bankrupt…politicians Bernie Moreno, [Texas Rep.] Chip Roy, J.D. Vance and Donald Trump then spoke in my son’s name and used his death for political gain. This needs to stop now.”
Republican White House nominees Donald Trump and J.D. Vance at the RNC on July 16, 2024.
Jim WATSON/getty
On Aug. 23, 2023, a child — later identified as Aiden Clark — was killed when the school bus he was on collided with a minivan in German Township, Clark County, authorities said at the time. More than two dozen others were injured in the incident, which happened on the first day of classes.
The driver of the minivan, Hermanio Joseph, was a Haitian immigrant. He was found guilty by a jury on May 1 for involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide, per WDTN.
The incident recently ignited the hot-button issue of immigration in Springfield, especially concerning Haitian migrants. Vance, a U.S. senator representing Ohio and Donald Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election, spread a previous false claim from far-right supporters that Haitian migrants in Springfield were snatching and eating pets, NPR reported.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on the debate stage in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2024.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty
The controversy surrounding the baseless allegation was a talking point at the Sept. 10 presidential debate between candidates Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, hosted by ABC News.
“And look at what’s happening to the towns all over the United States,” Trump said at the event, referencing immigration. “A lot of towns don’t want to talk about it because they’re so embarrassed by it. In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country.”
David Muir, a co-moderator of the debate, told Trump that a Springfield official said there were “no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”
“The people on television say my dog was taken and used for food,” Trump responded, which prompted Muir to reiterate that there was no evidence of that based on what the Springfield official told ABC News.
In his remarks to the Springfield City Commission, Nathan Clark said that he wished Aiden was killed by a 60-year-old white man so that “the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone.”
“To clear the air, my son, Aiden Clark, was not murdered,” Nathan said, per WDTN. “He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti. This tragedy is felt all over this community, this state and even the nation. But don’t spin this towards hate.”
He also asked why Aiden should be linked with any problems in Springfield, adding: “Did you know that one of the worst feelings in the world is to not be able to protect your child? Even worse, we can’t even protect his memory when he’s gone.”
Nathan concluded his remarks by urging people to stop the hate.
“I said to Aiden that I would try to make a difference in his honor,” he said. “This is it. Live like Aiden. Thank you.”
On Sept. 10, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced that he would send law enforcement and money for health resources to Springfield amid the city’s influx of temporary Haitian migrants, the Associated Press reported. DeWine’s announcement came before the start of the Harris-Trump debate that same day.
