CNN host smacks down Ohio GOP AG live on-air after he downplays bomb threats targeting Springfield

16 September 2024

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story misspelled "bomb" in the headline.

Dave Yost, the Republican Attorney General of Ohio, took a shellacking Monday afternoon after a CNN host debunked some of his claims made in support of Donald Trump’s lies that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating residents’ pets, including cats and dogs, as well as geese. Yost also downplayed the bomb threats in Springfield that have closed public schools for days, saying he has no information on who is responsible, and suggesting it could be someone from anywhere in the world.

Donald Trump’s lie that Haitian immigrants are stealing and eating pets has been refuted and debunked by the Republican Governor of Ohio, and the city’s mayor and city manager, along with local law enforcement.

But Yost wrongly insisted that there are credible reports that have been called in to city officials, claims he made days ago on social media that were quickly also debunked.

“There’s a recorded police call from a witness who saw immigrants capturing geese for food in Springfield. Citizens testified to City Council. These people would be competent witnesses in court. Why does the media find a carefully worded City Hall press release better evidence?” Yost asked on X last Wednesday.

AG Yost over the weekend also weighed in on the alleged 20,000 Haitian immigrants (city officials estimate 12,000 to 15,000) who now live in Springfield.

“There’s not a town in America that could absorb a quarter to a third of its population of new immigrants. Don’t buy the shrill ‘debunking’ by the leftist media outlets that desperately want to shut down this debate just weeks before voting starts,” he wrote on X, appearing to use his office to make a political statement.

Yost is perhaps most well–known for falsely denying that 10-year old rape victim who wanted an abortion had been raped. He also tried to block President Joe Biden from appearing on the November 2024 ballot, and has published 28 statements attacking President Biden or his administration on a wide variety of issues. Among them: COVID and vaccines, abortion, the Supreme Court, the teaching of history in public schools, and election laws. Yost also signed an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to disenfranchise the votes of thousands of Pennsylvania voters.

On Monday, CNN’s Brianna Keilar asked Yost how concerned is he about the bomb threats that have shuttered schools and other government facilities, including city hall and a motor vehicle office.

“Look, in Ohio, a bomb threat, particularly one that disrupts something like a school, is very serious crime. It’s felony, and my message is, whoever is responsible, knock it off,” Yost replied. “So let’s understand what there really is no evidence of, which is that these bomb threats are coming domestically. They might, they might not. That’s why we have investigations.”

Keilar also told Yost, “So you’ve been tweeting about this controversy, giving credence to what is so far and after quite a lot of investigation and unsubstantiated allegation that Haitian migrants are eating people’s pets in Springfield as well as waterfowl in public places there, and local authorities have investigated both, and they have found nothing to support that. The mayor says this is the case. Do you think the mayor is lying?”

“No, my comment, and by the way, most of my tweets have been about the impact, the real impacts on this town, but my tweet was about the media’s disregard of citizen interactions, citizen reports with their government,” Yost replied, despite the citizen reports having been debunked.

Yost went on to complain about the increase in the number of school children in Springfield needing translators.

Later, he complained, “I’m trying desperately to bring attention to the very serious issues, that’s mostly what I’ve been talking about. You’re the one that’s taking one tweet and trying to make a national news story out of it. How much time have we spent on this? In this interview?” he asked.

“It’s not my tweets, sir, it’s your tweets,” Keilar replied.

Watch the video below or at this link.

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