J.D. Vance Clashes with CNN’s Bash: ‘Frankly Disgusting’ to Say I Am Responsible for Inciting Violence in Springfield, Ohio

Kamala Harris opened the border, and now these people are suffering. That’s what I’m focused on, Dana.”
BASH: “Senator, I have to go through several things that you just said. First of all, the Clark County sheriff and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources reviewed 11 months of 911 calls. They only identified two instances of people alleging Haitians were taking geese out of parks. They found zero evidence to substantiate those claims. Also, other evidence that you have talked about, even you’ve retweeted, alleged evidence, are unsourced social media videos from a different city, apparently no connection to Haitians. And this is from a conservative activist who offered a $5,000 reward for such things. And then going just back to the schools and the hospitals and so forth being overwhelmed, nobody is disputing that the town of Springfield, Ohio, needs help. But you’re not just a bystander. You’re the senator from Ohio. So instead of saying things that are wrong and actually causing the hospitals, the schools, the government buildings to be evacuated because of bomb threats because of the cats and dogs thing, why not actually be constructive and helping to better integrate them into the community? Because there are a lot of employers there who say that the Haitian workers are helping fill jobs that they need desperately filled.”
Vance: “Dana, first of all, let me just respond to a couple of things that you said. But I want to start with something you said, which I think is, frankly, disgusting and is more appropriate for a Democratic propagandist than it is for an American journalist. There is nothing that I have said that has led to threats against these hospitals. These hospitals, the bomb threats and so forth, it’s disgusting. The violence is disgusting. We condemn it. We condemn all violence and threats of violence.”
BASH: “Senator, this happened after you and President Trump were on — on the debate stage said that cats and dogs were being eaten.”
Vance: “But to say — no, no, no, Dana, no, Dana, to say — Dana, no, you asked — you asked a question, Dana. And I’m going to go ahead and answer it.”
BASH: “And after that — after that, there were threats.”
Vance: “And I’m going to go ahead and answer it. What we have said is that this town has suffered terribly under the problem — under the policies of Kamala Harris. Now, you just accused me of inciting violence against the community, when all that I have done is surface the complaints of my constituents, people who are suffering because of Kamala Harris’ policies. Are we not allowed to talk about these problems because some psychopaths are threatening violence? We can condemn the violence on the one hand, but also talk about the terrible consequences of Kamala Harris’ open border on the other hand. Now let me just fact-check a couple of other things that you said, Dana, because it’s important. You said that all of these migrants are in the country legally. They’re in the country through what’s called temporary protective status.”
BASH: “Right.”
Vance: “That is when Kamala Harris waved a magic amnesty wand, taking people and giving them legal status. That is not a — that is not to say that they’re here legally. That is a terrible indictment of her amnesty policies that have further opened the border and further caused terrible migration into this country.”
BASH: “But they’re not — but it’s not illegal. You might be — you might not agree with the policy — and, obviously you don’t, which is totally fair and legitimate. There are policy disagreements all the time. But the fact is it is the law because President Biden and Vice President Harris are — “
Vance: “Dana — the point is, Dana — “
BASH: “But I don’t want to get — I don’t want to, frankly, go down this conversation about policy, because — no.”
Vance: “No, no, no, Dana, I — I — you made — you made a point. You don’t — I agree, you don’t want to talk about policy, Dana, which is why you’re talking about other distractions, instead of about the fact that — “
BASH: “No, what I want to talk about — what I want to talk about — Senator, it was your distraction. You were the one who started talking about eating dogs and cats.”
Vance: “ — Kamala Harris, Dana, granted amnesty at a mass level. She granted amnesty at a mass level.”
BASH: “You were the one who brought this up.”
Vance: “Dana, my constituents were the ones who talked about eating dog and cats.”
BASH: “The president said it to 60 million people.”
Vance: “And I talked about it because you were ignoring this community. My constituents talked about it.”
BASH: “Have you been to Springfield?”
Vance: “It is my responsibility to surface their concerns when the American media ignore them.”
BASH: “Have you been to Springfield?”
Vance: “Dana, I have been to Springfield probably 100 times in my life.”
BASH: “How about recently, since you have heard this — “
Vance: “I have taken my children to get ice cream at Young’s Jersey Dairy.”
BASH: “Have you heard — recently, since you have gotten these calls?”
Vance: “Have I been in the last four days?”
BASH: “No, I’m talking about — “
Vance: “No, I haven’t been in the last four days.”
BASH: “ — since you have gotten these calls from the constituents.”
Vance: “But I have talked to a lot of people in Springfield, Dana, and they’re telling me this stuff is happening. Dana, would you like to ask me questions and then let me answer them, or would you like to debate me on these topics? I noticed that when you had Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, you gave them multiple-choice answers to the questions that you asked and you allowed them to answer the questions. I’m happy to here — to be here to talk about policy, but if you’re going to interrupt me every single time that I open my mouth, then why am I even doing this? So, please, ask a question, and I’d ask you to be polite enough to let me answer it.”
BASH: “Yes. Yes, I am. And I think that if Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were making unsubstantiated claims that had racist undertones about people eating dogs and cats, I would — and they didn’t answer the questions about that, then I would have similar interactions with them.”