The father of an 11-year-old Ohio boy who was killed last year when a minivan driven by a Haitian immigrant rammed his school bus said Tuesday that Donald Trump and J.D. Vance were “morally bankrupt politicians” who used his dead son as a political tool.
Nathan Clark of Springfield condemned the Republican presidential candidacy and called on Trump and Vance to apologize in an impassioned speech to the city council after Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, cited the death of Clark’s son Aiden as a reason for opposing immigration from Haiti.
“Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose,” Clark said during the committee’s public comment period, according to a livestream of the meeting.
“This has to stop now,” he added. “I will listen to them one more time to hear their apology.”
Asked for comment on Clark’s statement, Luke Schroeder, a spokesman for Vance, said Vice President Kamala Harris should apologize to people who have been victims of crimes allegedly committed by immigrants — some of whom have blamed the Biden administration and testified before Congress.
“They hold her and her open borders policies responsible for the deaths of their children,” Schroeder said in an email.
“The Clark family is in Senator Vance’s prayers,” he said.
Trump campaign representatives did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday evening as Trump prepared for a debate with his Democratic opponent Harris.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Trump-Vance campaign thrust the 11-year-old boy and his family into the country’s political spotlight. Vance referenced Aiden in a post on X, writing that “a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant.” On Monday, an X account used by the Trump campaign tweeted about Aiden.
Aiden died on the first day of school in August 2023 when a minivan driven by a Haitian immigrant struck the bus he was riding in. The driver, Hermanio Joseph, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to nine to 13 years in prison.
The crash, which injured more than 20 other students, has fueled anger over a wave of recent Haitian immigrants in Springfield. In recent days, that anger has become a national political issue, including the spread of unsubstantiated rumors on social media about immigrants harming other people’s pets.
The Trump campaign promoted the false claims about Haitian immigrants on Monday and Tuesday, and used the rumors to attack Harris’ immigration history, though NBC News has not seen any statements mentioning the Clark family. Trump also posted what appeared to be AI-generated images on Truth Social on Tuesday of himself with cats and other animals, an apparent nod to the false rumors.
The Clarks have repeatedly called for their son’s death not to be linked to immigration or used to sow hatred against Haitians.
Clark, with his wife Danielle at his side during Tuesday’s meeting, said it was not true that his son was “murdered,” as Vance said.
“My son Aiden Clark was not murdered. He was accidentally murdered by an immigrant from Haiti. This tragedy is felt throughout this community, the state, and even the country, but don’t waste it on hate. To live like Aiden, you have to accept everyone,” he said.
Clark named four politicians who he said were “morally bankrupt” for referring to his son: Trump, Vance, Ohio’s Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.
“They named my son and used his death for political gain,” he said.
“They can spew all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even make false claims about furry pets being torn apart and eaten by members of the community. However, they cannot, and have never been allowed to, name Aiden Clark of Springfield, Ohio,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said complaints from longtime Springfield residents about immigration should be taken seriously.
“We did not manufacture this. This was brought to our attention by Ohioans,” Leavitt said in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press NOW.” She added that these people “deserve a voice.”
Nathan Clark did not respond to a request for additional comment.
Moreno posted on social media this week that Haitian immigrants “suck up social services” and repeated the unsubstantiated claim about pets. Roy has also criticized Haitian immigrants in Springfield on X.
Representatives for Moreno and Roy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Clark said the rise in anti-Haitian hatred was enough to make him wish his son had been “murdered by a 60-year-old white man” so that “hate-mongering people would leave us alone.”
“The last thing we need is for the worst day of our lives to be forced upon us constantly and violently,” he said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
