JD Vance’s microphone is cut off as he talks about Springfield, Ohio during VP debate

During a vice presidential debate, Republican nominee JD Vance claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies have negatively impacted American citizens in Springfield, Ohio by overwhelming schools, hospitals, and causing unaffordable housing prices due to competition with undocumented immigrants. He referenced former President Donald Trump’s claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were eating cats and dogs, which local officials found to be unsubstantiated. Vance did not repeat Trump’s claim during the debate, but reiterated his belief that undocumented immigrants are harming Americans. Local officials in Springfield, including Mayor Rob Rue and Gov. Mike DeWine, have refuted these claims, stating that most Haitian migrants are there legally and contributing positively to the community. When debate moderators fact-checked Vance’s claims about the legal status of the migrants, he objected and his mic was cut along with Democratic Governor Tim Walz. The moderators had warned about the possibility of cutting mics to enforce debate rules. Vance argued that the Haitian migrants should not be considered legal as their protected status was granted after they arrived in the U.S., which he interprets as illegal immigration. The debate became heated as the moderators attempted to move on, leading to their mics being muted.

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