An Ohio father is calling on President Donald Trump to stop using the death of his son in a school bus crash involving a Haitian migrant for “political gain.”
Aiden Clark, 11, died in August 2023 in a school bus accident in Springfield, Ohio, a small town now in the national spotlight due to unfounded claims about Haitian immigrants made by the Trump campaign.
On Tuesday, Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, mentioned Aiden in a Twitter/X post, saying his child was “murdered by Haitian immigrants.”
Aiden’s father, Nathan, said at a city commission meeting later that day that the message had reopened wounds. “They’ve taken my son’s name and used his death for political gain. This needs to stop now.”
“My son was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by a Haitian immigrant,” he continued.
“This tragedy is felt across our region, state and even our country, but we must not let this lead to hatred.”
Trump and Vance have also spread unfounded claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, a claim Trump repeated on stage at a presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris just hours after Clark’s comments.
“I wish my son, Aiden Clark, had been killed by a 60-year-old white man,” Clark said at the rally, with his wife, Danielle, at his side. “No one would have thought that someone would be so forthright in saying something like that.”
“But if that man killed my 11-year-old son, that group of people spewing hate would leave us alone.”
Aiden was killed when a van driven by Hermanio Joseph, a Haitian immigrant who did not have a driver’s license, crossed the center line and collided with a school bus.
The boy was thrown from the bus when it overturned, and several other children were also injured.
Joseph was convicted in May of manslaughter and felony homicide by vehicle and sentenced to nine to 13 1/2 years in prison.
On Monday, the Trump campaign’s Campaign X account posted a side-by-side photo of Aiden and Joseph, attacking Vice President Kamala Harris’ immigration policies ahead of the presidential debate.
“REMEMBER: 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed on his way to school in Springfield, Ohio, by Haitian immigrants allowed into the country by Kamala Harris,” the caption read, claiming that Harris “refused to say Aiden’s name.”
Vance continued posting the following day.
“They can spew all the hate they want about illegal immigration, the border crisis and even false claims that fluffy pets are being ravaged and eaten by local residents,” Clark said Tuesday.
“But they are not, and have never been, allowed to mention Aiden Clark of Springfield, Ohio.”
Mr Clark said the family is now having the worst day of their lives “violently and persistently shoved in their faces”.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the Clark family for the loss of their son,” the Trump campaign told the BBC, adding: “We hope the media will continue to report on the very real suffering and tragedy experienced by the people of Springfield, Ohio as a result of the influx of illegal immigrants from Haiti.”