SPRINGFIELD, Ohio- Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy held a town hall Thursday in Springfield, Ohio, a city that has been thrust into the 2024 race, calling for an open conversation about the immigrant debate that divides the country.
“We’ve been told, especially by the media, to shut up, to sit down, to do what we’re told, to sweep it under the rug, or else we’re guilty of some sin,” Ramaswamy began at town hall Thursday night. “And I think the truth in this country is that we don’t have to agree on everything. We really don’t. We’ve never done that in America. But the beauty of this country is that we should be able to talk about it in the open, and that’s what we’re going to do tonight.”
“Our ground rules for tonight are honesty and respect for our fellow citizens,” Ramaswamy told the crowd.
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Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy held a town hall in Springfield, Ohio, as the city becomes embroiled in 2024 politics. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
Ramaswamy, a Donald Trump supporter and Ohio native who grew up in nearby Columbus and frequently visited Springfield as a child, met with city officials and Haitian community leaders before the town hall. It was held at a small banquet facility with about 200 Springfield residents in the room, and an additional 100 in an overflow room.
After meeting with the Haitian group, he stressed that he did not blame them for wanting to come to the United States, but criticized the “federal policies” of the Biden-Harris administration.
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Many Springfield residents shared their concerns about the toll the city has taken since the influx of Haitian immigrants.
Chrissy, a Springfield resident for 66 years, took aim at city officials for not holding such an event with the public to address their issues.
“How are you going to know about a city if you’re not meeting people and talking to them?” Chrissy complained to Ramaswamy.
Vivek Ramaswamy spoke to residents of Springfield, Ohio, during a town hall on September 19, 2024. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
Ramaswamy responded by saying what he thought “may not be very popular in this room” about city officials, noting that they were invited to attend the town hall but did not show up.
“I actually think they do care, at least the subset that I met with,” Ramaswamy said. “But I’ll tell you what I see happening in the country. I think there’s actually a culture of fear. I think the reason you’re not here tonight is not because you don’t care about this, it’s because you’re not here tonight. You’re afraid.”
“These are just good, patriotic Americans who love their country and their city and who are fighting because the people they elected to run their federal government to the very end have let them down. And they should not be afraid to face off against their fellow citizens,” he added.
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Brock, a half-black Springfield resident for more than 20 years, sounded the alarm about “hate language” that has “increased” since his city received so much national attention.
“I can probably count on one hand, on both hands, how many racial slurs have been said in my entire life. I’ve been called the n-word twice this week,” Brock said before sharing how his friends with darker skin have been kicked out of stores and accused of being Haitian.
While reiterating his belief that the United States is not a “racist country,” Ramaswamy responded by acknowledging the “strange rise in racial tension in this country” that did not exist in his upbringing, linking the rise in intolerance to DEI. [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] Ideology, he said, “creates more racial animosity.”
Springfield, Ohio, has been at the epicenter of 2024 politics in recent weeks. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
One woman told Ramasawamy that her daughter was chased out of a Walmart by “immigrants,” one of whom was carrying a “machete.” But after her daughter called the police to file the report, the police “never substantiated the crime.”
“That’s how you know there’s no crime in Springfield because no one reports it,” the mother added.
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Others accused both city officials and the country at large of prioritizing care for immigrants over the homeless and veterans.
While much of the town hall was somber, the crowd erupted in massive applause after Ramaswamy was asked if he was going to run for governor of Ohio.
“I’m a little more inclined than I was ten seconds ago,” Ramaswamy joked.
Springfield has been hit by a wave of national media coverage as the city’s struggles with the immigration crisis have become a hot topic in the 2024 race.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.
