DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on September 17, 2024.
Ohio Senator JD Vance recently called on Americans to “love our neighbors” during a speech in Georgia. He spoke about being kind and treating others with respect. But the problem is that his actions don’t match his words. Just weeks before, Vance helped spread a harmful and false rumor about immigrants.
Many people were quick to call out the hypocrisy in Vance’s message. One Twitter user, @ArtCandee, replied, “JD Vance is a fraud. He caused all this nonsense in Ohio,” referring to the chaos caused by the false rumors Vance helped spread. Another user, @thenewsscreener, pointed out the problematic nature of Vance’s remarks, tweeting, “So… once again J.D. Vance’s rhetoric is all about using his religious beliefs to push public policy onto people who don’t share his religious beliefs. That is Christian Nationalism 101, folks.” This highlights how Vance’s words align with a political agenda many view as forcing religious beliefs onto others.
The criticism didn’t stop there. @sotteson added, “I’m sure he doesn’t include immigrants as neighbors,” capturing the sentiment of many who see Vance’s calls for neighborly love as only applying to specific groups—excluding the very immigrants he’s targeted with harmful rhetoric.
JD Vance is a fraud. He caused all this nonsense in Ohio.
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) September 16, 2024
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So… once again, J.D. Vance’s rhetoric is all about using his religious beliefs to push public policy onto people who don’t share his religious beliefs.
That is Christian Nationalism 101, folks.
— The World View (@thenewsscreener) September 16, 2024
I’m sure he doesn’t include immigrants as neighbors.
— Steve Otteson 🇺🇸🇺🇦🥥🌴 (@sotteson) September 16, 2024
Nothing says faith and values like lying for attention causing attacks on an innocent community.
— Suzanne McCain (@McCainSuzanne) September 17, 2024
This is a common problem in today’s Republican Party, especially with leaders like Donald Trump and Vance. They say one thing, like calling for kindness, but they do the opposite by spreading lies that hurt communities. In this case, Vance and Trump both repeated a false story that Haitian and African immigrants in Ohio were eating pets and local animals. This rumor came from a small Facebook group and was pushed by local neo-Nazi groups. Even though the story wasn’t true, Vance and Trump talked about it publicly, giving it more attention.
Spreading false information is dangerous. In this situation, the rumor caused panic in Springfield, Ohio. People were scared, and schools and government buildings had to close because of threats. Police and local officials said there was no truth to the story, but by then, the damage had already been done.
Vance later admitted in an interview with CNN that he didn’t care if the story was true or not. He said he was willing to spread false information if it helped bring attention to issues he cared about. He said,
“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
This is very dangerous thinking. When politicians lie or spread false stories, it creates chaos. People don’t know what to believe, and it makes it harder for communities to trust each other.
Vance is following in the footsteps of Donald Trump, who has a long history of spreading false information. Trump repeated the same false story about immigrants eating pets, saying he heard it on TV. But Trump has done this many times before. He famously spread the lie that former President Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States. He also falsely claimed that Mexican immigrants were bringing crime and drugs into America.
These lies have real consequences. When people believe them, it can lead to violence and hate against certain groups. A study from Princeton University found that Trump supporters are more likely to believe conspiracy theories. This is because Trump and Republicans like Vance use these stories to keep their supporters angry and afraid.
This behavior is part of a bigger strategy by the Republican Party. Instead of focusing on real issues like healthcare, the economy, or climate change, they spread stories that cause fear and division. By keeping people worried about things that aren’t true, they can avoid talking about their failed policies. For example, under Trump’s presidency, the federal debt went up by nearly $8.4 trillion, while rich people got big tax cuts.
Rather than fix these problems, Republicans like Trump and Vance distract people with lies about immigrants and other groups. This doesn’t help anyone—it only makes the country more divided.
America needs better leadership. Politicians should be honest and work to solve real problems, not spread fear with false stories. Vance’s call to “love our neighbors” is a good message, but it’s hard to take seriously when he’s helping to spread lies that hurt communities.
If we want a better, more united country, we need leaders who tell the truth and work for everyone. Let’s demand better from our leaders and stop supporting those who spread dangerous falsehoods.
Featured image via Screengrab
