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The State of Ohio

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An Ohio city struggling with a surge of legal immigrants lands in a harsh national spotlight. And the chairs of the two major political parties share some thoughts, with around 50 days till the election. Studio guests are state party Chairs Liz Walters (D) and Alex Triantafilou (R).

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00:00:39	An Ohio city struggling
00:00:39	with a surge of illegal
00:00:41	immigrants lands
00:00:41	in a harsh national spotlight.
00:00:45	And the chairs of the two
00:00:46	major political parties
00:00:46	share some thoughts.
00:00:47	With around 50 days
00:00:47	till the election.
00:00:50	That's this
00:00:50	weekend. The state of Ohio.
00:01:10	Welcome to the state of Ohio.
00:01:12	I'm Karen Kasler.
00:01:14	A horrible racist rumor
00:01:14	from Springfield early
00:01:16	in the week has blown up
00:01:16	into an international story
00:01:20	sparked by a tragedy
00:01:20	a year ago
00:01:22	and obscuring
00:01:23	the serious issue
00:01:23	of the impact of an
00:01:25	influx of illegal immigrants
00:01:25	on a medium sized community
00:01:29	between 10,000 and 20,000
00:01:29	immigrants from Haiti
00:01:31	have added
00:01:31	to the 60,000 person
00:01:33	population of Springfield over
00:01:33	the last few years.
00:01:37	Most are receiving short
00:01:37	term protections from the U.S.
00:01:39	Department
00:01:39	of Homeland Security
00:01:41	to work legally in the United
00:01:41	States through at least 2026,
00:01:45	as their country endures
00:01:46	political violence
00:01:46	and instability.
00:01:48	The surge has put a strain
00:01:50	on health care, schools,
00:01:50	road safety and housing.
00:01:54	Residents have noted and
00:01:54	complained about that strain.
00:01:57	And over the summer,
00:01:57	a neo-Nazi group protested
00:01:59	the Haitian community
00:01:59	in Springfield.
00:02:01	But this week, in the midst
00:02:01	of intense
00:02:03	campaigning for this fall's
00:02:05	election, rumors
00:02:05	that started a year ago
00:02:07	when an 11 year old was killed
00:02:07	in a school bus
00:02:10	accident caused by a Haitian
00:02:11	immigrant driving
00:02:11	without a license caught fire.
00:02:14	Claims
00:02:14	that Haitians were stealing
00:02:16	and eating people's pets
00:02:16	started circulating wildly
00:02:20	after being boosted by right
00:02:20	wing social media accounts
00:02:23	and eventually
00:02:23	by Republican U.S.
00:02:25	Senator and vice
00:02:25	presidential candidate J.D.
00:02:27	Vance and Republican candidate
00:02:27	for U.S.
00:02:29	Senate Bernie Marino,
00:02:29	among others.
00:02:31	Then Republican Attorney
00:02:31	General Dave
00:02:33	Yost said
00:02:33	he was investigating,
00:02:35	but the city and its
00:02:35	police department
00:02:37	say there are
00:02:37	no firsthand accounts or hard
00:02:37	evidence of this happening.
00:02:41	We wish to clarify
00:02:41	that we have not been able
00:02:45	to verify you credible reports
00:02:45	or specific claims
00:02:49	of pets being harmed, injured,
00:02:49	or abused by individuals
00:02:53	within
00:02:53	the immigrant community.
00:02:57	The new story
00:02:58	regarding a cat being killed
00:02:58	and consumed did not
00:03:03	originate in Springfield.
00:03:06	It actually involved a canton
00:03:06	woman who was arrested
00:03:09	for animal cruelty last month.
00:03:13	Rumors like this are taken
00:03:13	away from the real issues,
00:03:17	such as the issues
00:03:17	involving our housing,
00:03:21	our school resources,
00:03:23	and our overwhelmed
00:03:23	health care system.
00:03:25	And Nathan Clark,
00:03:25	the father of 11 year
00:03:28	old Aiden,
00:03:28	who died in that bus crash,
00:03:30	came to a Springfield City
00:03:32	Commission
00:03:32	meeting with a message.
00:03:35	politicians,
00:03:35	Bernie Marino, Chip
00:03:37	Roy, JD Vance and Donald Trump
00:03:37	then spoke in my son's
00:03:42	name and used his death
00:03:42	for political gain.
00:03:46	This needs to stop now.
00:03:49	They can vomit all the hate
00:03:49	they want about
00:03:52	illegal immigrants,
00:03:52	the border crisis,
00:03:56	and even untrue claims
00:03:58	about fluffy
00:03:58	pets being ravaged
00:04:00	and eaten
00:04:00	by community members.
00:04:04	However, they are not allowed,
00:04:04	nor have they ever been
00:04:07	allowed to mention Aiden
00:04:07	Clark from Springfield, Ohio.
00:04:10	but that hasn't stopped
00:04:10	many high profile Republicans
00:04:13	from continuing to spread
00:04:13	the so-far unfounded claims
00:04:17	which find their roots
00:04:17	in false accusations
00:04:19	about Third World immigrants
00:04:19	that go back a century.
00:04:23	After the presidential debate
00:04:23	on Tuesday.
00:04:25	Vance told CNN
00:04:25	he stands by the claim.
00:04:28	Well,
00:04:28	first of all, city officials
00:04:29	have not said it's not true.
00:04:30	They said they don't have
00:04:30	all the evidence is
00:04:33	there's no evidence.
00:04:33	We've heard from a number
00:04:33	of constituents on the ground.
00:04:35	Caitlin, who both first hand
00:04:35	and second hand reports saying
00:04:39	this stuff is happening.
00:04:40	If someone calls your office
00:04:40	and says they saw Bigfoot,
00:04:43	that doesn't mean
00:04:43	they saw Bigfoot.
00:04:45	Why? I mean, you have a sense
00:04:45	of responsibility
00:04:46	as a running mate,
00:04:46	and he certainly does this
00:04:48	as the candidate to not
00:04:48	promote false information.
00:04:51	Caitlin,
00:04:51	it's a totally fair point,
00:04:52	but nobody's calling my office
00:04:53	and saying that
00:04:53	they saw Bigfoot.
00:04:55	What they're calling
00:04:55	and saying
00:04:56	is, we're seeing migrants
00:04:56	kidnap our dogs and cats.
00:05:00	And city officials aren't
00:05:00	doing anything about it.
00:05:03	Former President Donald Trump
00:05:03	mentioned it in the debate,
00:05:05	which got a fact check
00:05:05	from ABC anchor David Muir,
00:05:08	who said twice
00:05:09	that the city manager
00:05:09	has confirmed
00:05:11	there is no evidence
00:05:11	of this happening.
00:05:13	With Trump responding
00:05:13	that he saw it on television.
00:05:16	Governor Mike DeWine has
00:05:16	a long connection with Haiti.
00:05:18	He set up a school
00:05:19	there named for his late
00:05:19	daughter, Becky.
00:05:21	That school
00:05:22	closed earlier this year
00:05:22	because of gang violence.
00:05:25	DeWine said on Tuesday
00:05:25	that he will send
00:05:27	at least $2.5 million
00:05:27	to Springfield
00:05:29	to help with health care
00:05:29	access
00:05:31	and state troopers
00:05:31	to reduce dangerous driving.
00:05:34	And he blamed
00:05:34	the federal government
00:05:36	for not offering more help
00:05:36	to those receiving temporary
00:05:39	protected status.
00:05:40	And the communities
00:05:40	where they end up
00:05:42	There has to be a plan
00:05:42	to take to prevent
00:05:46	situations like
00:05:46	we're seeing in Springfield.
00:05:51	But if in fact
00:05:53	they do occur,
00:05:53	we clearly need help from the
00:05:57	from the federal government.
00:06:02	Haitians,
00:06:02	the patients who are here
00:06:05	are hard working people.
00:06:08	They have families
00:06:10	and they care
00:06:10	about their families,
00:06:11	and they care about
00:06:11	their children.
00:06:14	They came to Springfield,
00:06:14	Ohio, for work.
00:06:19	But DeWine deflected questions
00:06:19	about the racist rhetoric,
00:06:22	deferring to county and city
00:06:22	officials on the matter.
00:06:25	A few days later, he echoed
00:06:25	what Springfield officials
00:06:28	have been saying
00:06:29	that there's no evidence
00:06:29	that this is happening.
00:06:31	There were a lot of other
00:06:31	issues
00:06:33	and questions
00:06:33	that came up in that
00:06:34	presidential debate
00:06:34	beyond that.
00:06:36	The day after the debate,
00:06:36	I spoke with Ohio
00:06:38	Republican Party
00:06:38	Chair Alex Triana.
00:06:40	Feeling So
00:06:40	let's talk about the debate.
00:06:43	Even on Fox News,
00:06:43	the reviews were
00:06:45	he didn't seem like
00:06:45	he was ready.
00:06:46	There were some moments
00:06:46	where you were like,
00:06:48	oh my God,
00:06:48	where are we going
00:06:48	with this? Brit Hume
00:06:50	said, make no mistake,
00:06:50	Trump had a bad night.
00:06:52	But bear, President Trump
00:06:54	did take a lot of the bait
00:06:54	that she threw out,
00:06:56	Martha MacCallum said.
00:06:57	He went down a few cat
00:06:57	and dog holes.
00:07:00	You posted on X
00:07:01	right after the debate that
00:07:01	Trump was the clear winner.
00:07:04	Why do you think so?
00:07:05	I think you won on policy.
00:07:07	I think what we didn't see
00:07:07	last night
00:07:08	was any clear solutions
00:07:08	of the problems that Americans
00:07:11	and Ohioans are facing.
00:07:13	I don't remember
00:07:13	a single thing
00:07:15	that Kamala Harris said
00:07:15	about fixing the problem
00:07:17	with inflation.
00:07:18	I don't remember her
00:07:19	making a concrete proposal
00:07:19	about the border.
00:07:21	I don't remember her
00:07:22	talking really
00:07:22	about anything concrete
00:07:24	about how to solve some of
00:07:24	the international crises.
00:07:26	So look,
00:07:26	I mean, Kamala Harris,
00:07:28	the expectation were low
00:07:28	and they did a nice job
00:07:31	of setting expectations low.
00:07:33	A lot of us,
00:07:33	especially on our side,
00:07:35	have seen clip
00:07:35	after clip of her
00:07:37	engaging in word salad
00:07:37	and seeming incoherent.
00:07:40	I'll concede she wasn't
00:07:40	that way last night.
00:07:43	Look,
00:07:43	it was an hour long debate.
00:07:45	This campaign is going to be
00:07:45	about more than that.
00:07:46	But I did think
00:07:46	that our message
00:07:48	for the American people,
00:07:48	for regular
00:07:51	Ohioans, regular Americans,
00:07:51	was the better message.
00:07:54	And talking
00:07:54	about real solutions.
00:07:55	Donald Trump talks
00:07:55	about immigration.
00:07:57	He talks about
00:07:57	building a wall.
00:07:58	You don't have to agree
00:07:58	with it, but it is a solution.
00:08:01	I didn't haven't heard a
00:08:01	solution from the other side.
00:08:03	So for in that in that way,
00:08:04	I thought we had a better
00:08:04	night. Last thing.
00:08:06	Why was Joe Biden's age?
00:08:09	He's 81 years old.
00:08:11	Important, but Donald Trump's
00:08:11	age, he's 78 right now.
00:08:14	He'd be 82 if he's elected
00:08:15	and finishes out
00:08:15	a four year term.
00:08:16	Why is Joe Biden's
00:08:16	why was his age important?
00:08:20	Donald Trump is not.
00:08:21	I mean, anybody who's watching
00:08:21	Donald Trump
00:08:23	and Joe Biden knows that age
00:08:23	isn't the issue.
00:08:25	It's just your mental capacity
00:08:25	and mental faculties.
00:08:28	And, you know,
00:08:28	I haven't seen any
00:08:30	real slippage
00:08:30	in President Trump.
00:08:31	I just haven't.
00:08:32	And I don't think
00:08:32	most American people have even
00:08:34	they don't like him.
00:08:35	It's fair to say
00:08:35	the man can still
00:08:37	articulate his positions.
00:08:39	He again,
00:08:39	you may not agree with him
00:08:41	all the time, but he does
00:08:41	articulate his positions well.
00:08:43	He holds his own mentally.
00:08:45	There's a clear difference.
00:08:46	And we saw it in the last
00:08:46	debate
00:08:47	between the mental capacity
00:08:47	and faculties of Joe Biden
00:08:51	and Donald Trump.
00:08:52	So, you know, age
00:08:53	should not be a factor
00:08:53	necessarily in this race.
00:08:55	What should be
00:08:55	is your mental abilities,
00:08:57	but more importantly,
00:08:57	the policies
00:08:58	that you're going to have
00:08:58	for the American people.
00:09:01	And on that challenge,
00:09:02	I think we've met
00:09:02	that challenge as a party
00:09:04	to suggest that our solutions
00:09:05	are better ones
00:09:05	for the people.
00:09:07	There have been
00:09:07	debates in the past
00:09:08	where the image of one
00:09:08	candidate versus
00:09:10	the other candidate
00:09:10	really defined things
00:09:12	for some people.
00:09:13	Do you think that
00:09:14	the image of Donald Trump and
00:09:14	the image of Kamala Harris,
00:09:17	that was
00:09:17	it's fair to compare them?
00:09:21	You know, I've
00:09:21	never been a
00:09:22	fan of that
00:09:22	comparison, really,
00:09:23	even if it works
00:09:23	to the benefit of Republicans.
00:09:25	I mean, ultimately,
00:09:25	we have to evaluate
00:09:26	what these candidates say.
00:09:28	If we as a country
00:09:28	are electing
00:09:29	our president
00:09:29	based on style points,
00:09:32	we're doing the country
00:09:32	a disservice.
00:09:33	And look,
00:09:33	there's plenty of cases
00:09:35	where we went on style points,
00:09:35	and I know that.
00:09:37	But ultimately,
00:09:37	I don't think that's how
00:09:39	we ought
00:09:39	to pick our next president.
00:09:41	So I'm not terribly concerned
00:09:41	about those optics.
00:09:43	The contest in Ohio
00:09:43	between Bernie Marino
00:09:45	and Sherrod Brown was expected
00:09:45	to be expensive and close,
00:09:48	and that appears to
00:09:48	be what we have.
00:09:51	There's a belief
00:09:51	that the shake up
00:09:52	on the Democratic ticket
00:09:52	helps Brown,
00:09:55	even though Trump is still
00:09:56	at the top of the ticket
00:09:56	for the Republicans,
00:09:58	because it's harder
00:09:58	than to tie Brown to Biden
00:10:01	if Biden's
00:10:01	not actually running.
00:10:02	So what do you think
00:10:02	the shake up on
00:10:04	the Democratic side
00:10:04	is going to mean in that race?
00:10:06	Well, that shake up now,
00:10:06	which is what,
00:10:08	some six weeks old
00:10:10	we haven't seen
00:10:10	that help Sherrod Brown.
00:10:12	As a matter of fact, the polls
00:10:12	have closed in that race.
00:10:14	And any objective, person
00:10:14	looking at this will tell you
00:10:16	that the polls have narrowed
00:10:16	in that race.
00:10:18	Bernie Merino had been down
00:10:18	some period a
00:10:21	some some the percentage
00:10:21	that that number is gone now.
00:10:24	I think even internally,
00:10:24	Sherrod Brown
00:10:25	would have to admit
00:10:25	this is a dead heat race.
00:10:28	And that's after they've spent
00:10:29	millions
00:10:29	trying to define Bernie.
00:10:31	But listen, it's
00:10:31	not just tying him to Biden.
00:10:33	It's time to the last
00:10:33	four years or last three
00:10:35	and a half years of Biden's
00:10:35	policies
00:10:37	having a porous
00:10:37	southern border.
00:10:38	Again, your groceries cost
00:10:40	more in the Biden
00:10:40	administration.
00:10:42	We do see an explosion
00:10:42	of crime in the big cities.
00:10:44	So we see these things
00:10:44	that are happening
00:10:46	on the Democratic side.
00:10:48	And he,
00:10:48	you know, Sherrod Brown
00:10:48	can't run away from Joe Biden.
00:10:50	He's voted with him
00:10:50	98.5% of the time.
00:10:53	So he just can't run away
00:10:53	from the policies of the last
00:10:56	four years.
00:10:57	It's not so much the man,
00:10:58	but it's the governance
00:10:58	and the policies
00:11:00	that have come out
00:11:00	of Washington.
00:11:01	On the Biden under Joe Biden's
00:11:01	watch.
00:11:03	57% of Ohioans voted last year
00:11:03	to protect reproductive
00:11:06	rights and abortion access.
00:11:08	Marino says
00:11:08	he's 100% pro-life.
00:11:10	And he said
00:11:10	that vote came from cheating.
00:11:12	But he also says he supports
00:11:13	the Republican Party platform,
00:11:13	which would leave abortion
00:11:15	related decisions
00:11:15	up to the states.
00:11:17	And now you've got,
00:11:18	it's unclear
00:11:18	whether Donald Trump
00:11:20	is going to sign
00:11:20	an abortion ban.
00:11:22	Both of them
00:11:22	seem to have supported
00:11:24	national restrictions.
00:11:26	And about 15 weeks,
00:11:27	is this going to be a key
00:11:27	issue for Ohioans
00:11:29	who voted to approve abortion
00:11:29	access last year?
00:11:32	I mean, it shouldn't be.
00:11:32	We've decided
00:11:32	this question in Ohio.
00:11:34	Ohio voters went told us,
00:11:36	you know, I was on the other
00:11:36	side of that debate.
00:11:38	And look, I've been
00:11:38	in politics a long time.
00:11:40	We should be listening
00:11:40	to our voters.
00:11:41	And here in Ohio,
00:11:41	voters have told us
00:11:43	where they are
00:11:43	on this particular issue.
00:11:44	Look at the end of the day,
00:11:44	this is about the kitchen
00:11:47	table issues that affect
00:11:47	Americans and Ohioans.
00:11:49	It's about, again,
00:11:50	the cost of your groceries,
00:11:51	how safe you feel
00:11:51	in your community,
00:11:53	whether or not
00:11:53	what's happening
00:11:54	in Springfield, Ohio,
00:11:56	you know,
00:11:56	with 20,000 immigrants
00:11:58	coming into a community
00:11:58	of 60,000 people,
00:12:00	how that affects your day
00:12:00	to day life.
00:12:02	This bigger issue,
00:12:03	I think Donald Trump
00:12:03	nailed it last night.
00:12:05	Frankly, in the debate,
00:12:06	it's being contemplated and
00:12:06	and fought over in the states.
00:12:09	The small
00:12:09	the democratic process
00:12:09	is at play to tell us
00:12:12	where the American people
00:12:12	are. Here in Ohio.
00:12:14	Ohioans
00:12:14	have spoken on this question.
00:12:16	We think the proposal
00:12:17	that's on the books
00:12:17	now is too extreme.
00:12:19	There may be a time to review
00:12:19	it, but certainly not now.
00:12:22	So there could be another
00:12:22	abortion related amendment
00:12:24	right now in Ohio.
00:12:25	You know, you can
00:12:26	you can have bought a baby
00:12:26	in the ninth month
00:12:28	of pregnancy, in
00:12:28	the eighth month of pregnancy.
00:12:30	If you look at the current
00:12:30	construct of the law,
00:12:32	that's very rare
00:12:32	circumstances.
00:12:34	It's still that kind
00:12:34	of extremely rare circumstance
00:12:37	ought to not be allowed,
00:12:39	and there ought to be
00:12:39	some real hurdles before
00:12:41	someone can do that.
00:12:42	So, you know, again,
00:12:43	to the extent
00:12:44	that people listen
00:12:44	to what our position is
00:12:46	and they're not,
00:12:46	you know,
00:12:46	they're not getting
00:12:46	a lot of help, frankly,
00:12:47	from our friends
00:12:47	in the press on this topic.
00:12:49	But the answer is
00:12:51	that we can't allow
00:12:51	those late term abortions,
00:12:53	and there ought to be
00:12:53	some restrictions there.
00:12:55	And I think all Americans,
00:12:55	most Americans, agree
00:12:58	that there ought to be
00:12:58	some commonsense
00:12:59	restrictions
00:12:59	around that procedure.
00:13:01	Republicans have A43 advantage
00:13:02	on the Ohio
00:13:02	Supreme Court right now.
00:13:04	How important is that race
00:13:05	with three
00:13:05	seats up on the ballot?
00:13:07	And was it wise for Justice
00:13:07	Joe Peters to challenge
00:13:10	his Democratic colleague
00:13:10	on the bench, Melody
00:13:13	Stewart, to try to win her
00:13:13	seat in the full term?
00:13:15	That comes with that,
00:13:16	as opposed to running for
00:13:16	the seat he was appointed to
00:13:18	with two years
00:13:18	left on that term.
00:13:20	Nobody's
00:13:20	entitled to any seats, and
00:13:22	I believe strongly in that.
00:13:23	If you're an elected official,
00:13:24	you should be prepared
00:13:24	to defend your positions
00:13:26	regardless of what term
00:13:26	you're in or where you are.
00:13:29	So, Justice
00:13:29	Joe Deters is well
00:13:31	within his rights
00:13:31	to run for the full term.
00:13:32	I encourage them to do that.
00:13:33	It's a record
00:13:34	he consulted with the Ohio
00:13:34	Republican Party.
00:13:36	I was involved
00:13:36	in that decision.
00:13:37	So I stand by the decision
00:13:37	strongly.
00:13:40	Those races are very important
00:13:41	for putting a lot of resources
00:13:41	in those races. Karen.
00:13:43	We believe our candidates
00:13:43	are the better candidates.
00:13:45	We have three candidates
00:13:45	who are former prosecutors
00:13:48	in the toughest
00:13:48	kind of prosecutors,
00:13:49	and we think that
00:13:49	we should have judges
00:13:51	who first and foremost
00:13:51	look to protect the community.
00:13:54	They should do justice,
00:13:54	but they should do justice
00:13:56	with an eye
00:13:56	toward making sure
00:13:56	that victims rights
00:13:58	are as protected
00:13:58	as the rights of defendants.
00:14:00	So we're confident
00:14:01	that our three former
00:14:03	prosecutors
00:14:03	that are running in this state
00:14:05	are the best choices
00:14:05	for Ohio.
00:14:07	And finally,
00:14:07	last month, RNC Chair Michael
00:14:09	Whatley came to the Ohio
00:14:09	GOP headquarters
00:14:11	to talk about recruiting
00:14:11	and training
00:14:13	thousands of volunteers
00:14:15	to be on the lookout
00:14:15	for potential problems
00:14:17	in 18 states, including Ohio,
00:14:17	on Election Day.
00:14:20	And with early voting.
00:14:21	This is happening,
00:14:21	as we've heard repeatedly,
00:14:22	that Ohio is the gold
00:14:23	standard for elections
00:14:23	and that our system is great.
00:14:27	But it is also coming,
00:14:28	as former
00:14:28	President Trump has said,
00:14:29	he lost the 2020
00:14:29	election based on fraud.
00:14:31	Aren't
00:14:31	these mixed messages here
00:14:33	that Ohio's
00:14:33	elections are safe and secure,
00:14:36	but that the RNC is going
00:14:36	to still bring in people
00:14:39	to watch what happens in Ohio?
00:14:41	Like there's
00:14:41	going to be problems.
00:14:42	Well,
00:14:42	and I appreciate the question.
00:14:44	Sorry to jump ahead.
00:14:45	No, no,
00:14:45	I mean, look, in the same way
00:14:46	that I believe
00:14:46	the banking system is safe,
00:14:48	we still have safeguards
00:14:48	everywhere. We have a Pin.
00:14:51	We have,
00:14:52	you know,
00:14:52	secondary ways
00:14:52	to assure your identity
00:14:54	when you're logging
00:14:54	into an app or something.
00:14:56	So know making sure
00:14:56	that we have a kind of belt
00:14:58	and suspenders
00:14:58	approach is appropriate.
00:15:00	And that's what you're seeing
00:15:00	in Ohio.
00:15:02	Protecting election
00:15:02	integrity is important.
00:15:04	Regardless
00:15:05	of where you fall
00:15:05	on the issue, it's fair
00:15:07	if one steps back to look
00:15:07	and say that
00:15:09	there is a significant portion
00:15:09	of Americans
00:15:12	that believe that this
00:15:12	this lacked integrity,
00:15:15	the system that the election
00:15:15	last election lacked,
00:15:18	the integrity that deserves
00:15:19	the Covid crisis
00:15:19	certainly contributed to that.
00:15:22	So there is this distrust by a
00:15:24	significant number of people.
00:15:26	We shouldn't just we shouldn't
00:15:26	just ignore their concerns
00:15:29	in the same way
00:15:29	that, you know,
00:15:30	we don't ignore the concerns
00:15:30	of people who care about
00:15:33	who are worried about police
00:15:33	brutality, for instance.
00:15:35	And I would argue that
00:15:35	that's not the norm.
00:15:37	Of course, there are episodes
00:15:37	of police brutality,
00:15:38	but it's not the day to day
00:15:38	functioning of the police.
00:15:41	We go to great lengths
00:15:41	to assure
00:15:43	that people have respect
00:15:43	for law enforcement.
00:15:44	We should go to great lengths
00:15:46	that to make people believe
00:15:47	that our elections
00:15:47	have integrity.
00:15:49	The next day, I spoke
00:15:50	with the chair of the Ohio
00:15:50	Democratic Party, Liz Walters.
00:15:53	So it's widely acknowledged
00:15:53	that Kamala
00:15:55	Harris had a great performance
00:15:55	at the debate,
00:15:57	especially with the
00:15:57	expectations
00:15:57	from Biden's debate in June.
00:16:00	Well, she did land
00:16:00	several punches on Donald
00:16:02	Trump and clearly rattles off
00:16:02	a few times.
00:16:04	She also did not answer
00:16:04	a few of the questions.
00:16:06	Is that concerning,
00:16:08	since voters are still getting
00:16:09	to know her in her positions?
00:16:10	Let me start by agreeing
00:16:10	with your premise
00:16:13	that, Kamala Harris won
00:16:13	that debate this week.
00:16:16	And I think more importantly,
00:16:16	with all the questions
00:16:20	and the totality of the debate
00:16:20	performance in clear view,
00:16:23	what we know is that,
00:16:23	we had a clear contrast.
00:16:26	And for any undecided voter
00:16:28	or voter
00:16:28	who was turning in to decide
00:16:30	to figure out
00:16:31	who they might be
00:16:31	leaning towards,
00:16:33	you couldn't
00:16:33	have had a clear choice.
00:16:35	On one side,
00:16:36	you had a career prosecutor
00:16:36	who laid out her vision
00:16:39	for the country
00:16:39	and came to the table
00:16:41	with ideas for how to help
00:16:41	working families here in Ohio,
00:16:45	and then a 34 time
00:16:45	convicted felon
00:16:47	who couldn't form a coherent
00:16:47	thought about a policy
00:16:50	or priority had that would
00:16:50	actually benefit, the voters.
00:16:53	And so for anyone
00:16:53	who came to that debate
00:16:55	with questions,
00:16:56	for the extreme,
00:16:58	to the entire of the entirety
00:16:58	of the two hours, one
00:17:01	person could present and,
00:17:01	policy ideas and priorities,
00:17:04	and the other person ranted
00:17:04	and raved at the sky.
00:17:07	There are some comparisons.
00:17:09	Interestingly, Harris's
00:17:09	stance to Ronald Reagan,
00:17:13	of all people
00:17:14	when it comes
00:17:14	to foreign policy
00:17:15	in particular,
00:17:16	and especially as
00:17:16	the Republican Party
00:17:17	has moved
00:17:17	further to the right.
00:17:19	Is that a problem
00:17:20	for more left
00:17:21	leaning members
00:17:21	of the Democratic coalition,
00:17:22	especially when you start
00:17:22	talking
00:17:23	about the Israel-hamas war?
00:17:25	with, Vice President Harris
00:17:25	I think that what you've seen
00:17:28	is that she is united,
00:17:28	the Democratic Party.
00:17:29	Full stop.
00:17:30	The full spectrum
00:17:30	and coalition of voters
00:17:33	who want to see, her
00:17:33	in office.
00:17:36	It is, includes
00:17:36	people from the farther
00:17:39	sides of our party,
00:17:40	but also a whole host
00:17:40	of independents
00:17:42	and, undecided voters
00:17:43	or even kind of left of center
00:17:43	voters.
00:17:46	Plenty of room in our tent
00:17:46	for Nikki Haley.
00:17:48	Voters who do not want to see
00:17:48	an isolationist president
00:17:51	or a president
00:17:51	who buddies up to dictators
00:17:53	like Donald Trump,
00:17:53	back in office.
00:17:55	And so while,
00:17:55	within the Democratic Party,
00:17:58	because it's a big tent,
00:17:58	we don't always
00:18:00	have full alignment
00:18:00	on all issues.
00:18:01	Right now,
00:18:02	you can know for sure
00:18:02	that the Democratic Party
00:18:04	is fully aligned behind Vice
00:18:04	President Harris.
00:18:06	The last time we talked
00:18:06	was at the statewide gathering
00:18:08	of Democrats in Columbus,
00:18:09	and there was obviously
00:18:09	a focus by the folks there.
00:18:14	And you that the race, the US
00:18:14	Senate race was the priority.
00:18:19	Pretty much.
00:18:19	It was
00:18:20	acknowledged that Donald Trump
00:18:20	is likely going to win Ohio.
00:18:23	This doesn't change that
00:18:26	significantly, does it?
00:18:27	Well, listen, I think the
00:18:28	the race is greatly different
00:18:28	in Ohio.
00:18:31	On the presidential side,
00:18:31	Vice President Harris
00:18:33	and Governor
00:18:33	Walz have unique messaging
00:18:35	that speaks directly to Ohio
00:18:35	voters.
00:18:37	And we're seeing those numbers
00:18:37	shift,
00:18:39	substantially compared
00:18:39	to where the head to head was,
00:18:41	between President Biden
00:18:41	and former President Trump.
00:18:44	But the reality is, right,
00:18:44	we're not sure
00:18:46	that they'll compete for Ohio
00:18:46	meaningfully.
00:18:48	Either candidate doesn't
00:18:50	seem to be spending a lot,
00:18:50	there.
00:18:52	Any Ohio voter with a TV knows
00:18:54	you're hearing a lot
00:18:54	about the Senate race.
00:18:56	And so our assignment
00:18:56	hasn't changed.
00:18:57	We continue to remain
00:18:57	focused on making sure that,
00:19:00	the man who works hardest
00:19:00	for Ohioans, Sherrod
00:19:02	Brown, goes back to the Senate
00:19:02	this November.
00:19:04	Let's talk about that race.
00:19:05	The, contest was expected
00:19:07	to be expensive and close,
00:19:07	and it sure is.
00:19:09	There's a belief
00:19:09	that the shake up on
00:19:11	the Democratic ticket
00:19:11	does help.
00:19:13	Sherrod Brown, even with
00:19:13	Trump still on the ballot.
00:19:16	But Republicans say
00:19:17	that they're still going
00:19:17	to try to tie
00:19:19	Sherrod
00:19:19	Brown to Joe Biden, that,
00:19:21	they're
00:19:21	they're the same, essentially.
00:19:23	Does that work against you?
00:19:25	I think that
00:19:25	at the end of the day,
00:19:27	this race has always been
00:19:27	between Shared and Bernie.
00:19:29	That's it.
00:19:30	This race is about who's
00:19:30	going to go into the US
00:19:32	Senate and fight for Ohioans
00:19:32	every day,
00:19:34	who's
00:19:34	going to put our needs first,
00:19:35	and who is going to stand up
00:19:35	to the folks
00:19:37	who don't have
00:19:37	our best interests at heart?
00:19:39	And at the end of the day,
00:19:40	Ohio voters know that Sherrod
00:19:40	Brown is on their side.
00:19:42	He has stood up to corporate
00:19:42	interests,
00:19:44	to pharma,
00:19:45	to railroad companies, and
00:19:45	sometimes to his own party.
00:19:48	When he doesn't think that's
00:19:48	what's right for Ohioans.
00:19:50	And we know that's
00:19:50	what's going to drive
00:19:52	a lot of folks to the polls
00:19:52	so they can run
00:19:54	whatever ads they want
00:19:54	against Sherrod Brown.
00:19:56	But I think most Ohio
00:19:57	voters know who he is
00:19:57	and what he stands for.
00:19:59	And that,
00:20:00	he represents the values
00:20:00	we want to see in the US
00:20:02	Senate
00:20:02	57% of Ohioans voted last year
00:20:05	to protect reproductive
00:20:05	rights and abortion access.
00:20:07	Marino says
00:20:07	he's 100% pro-life,
00:20:09	but is also said
00:20:09	that vote came from cheating.
00:20:11	He also says he supports
00:20:11	the Republican Party platform,
00:20:14	which would leave
00:20:15	decisions related to abortion
00:20:15	up to the states.
00:20:18	Trump has been unclear
00:20:18	on what he might do
00:20:20	with the national abortion ban
00:20:20	or any restrictions.
00:20:22	Is this still going to be
00:20:22	a key issue for Ohio voters
00:20:25	this fall,
00:20:25	or do they consider it
00:20:26	settled because of last year's
00:20:26	vote?
00:20:28	It is
00:20:29	absolutely
00:20:29	one of the top issues
00:20:31	we are hearing about
00:20:31	from voters
00:20:32	that we're seeing in polling
00:20:32	and that we know
00:20:34	is going to matter
00:20:34	to how voters.
00:20:36	You made an important point,
00:20:36	right?
00:20:38	Last year,
00:20:38	Ohioans overwhelmingly
00:20:40	voted to enshrine this right
00:20:40	in our state constitution.
00:20:43	They made their voices heard.
00:20:45	And what we are seeing that
00:20:46	whether it is Dave Yost,
00:20:46	Mike DeWine, Frank Loras,
00:20:49	Bernie Marino, Donald Trump,
00:20:50	they do not respect the voices
00:20:50	of Ohio voters and continue
00:20:54	to lean in on this issue
00:20:54	to try and find ways
00:20:56	and undermine
00:20:56	the will of Ohioans.
00:20:58	The choice on this issue
00:20:58	couldn't be more clear.
00:21:01	If you want elected officials
00:21:01	who are going to respect
00:21:03	the voices
00:21:03	of the people in Ohio,
00:21:05	especially on the issue
00:21:05	of abortion,
00:21:07	Sherrod Brown's your guy,
00:21:07	and Democrats up and down
00:21:09	the ticket are committed
00:21:09	to having a pro-choice state.
00:21:13	There is no room for debate
00:21:13	there on, on that issue
00:21:16	in our mind,
00:21:16	bigger issue, though,
00:21:17	than the economy
00:21:17	or immigration.
00:21:19	You know, they it all plays
00:21:19	differently depending
00:21:21	on who the voter voter is
00:21:21	you're talking to.
00:21:23	All of these things
00:21:23	are important to folks,
00:21:24	and it's important reminder
00:21:24	that family planning
00:21:27	is an economic issue
00:21:27	for millions of women in Ohio
00:21:30	and for their husbands
00:21:30	or their partners.
00:21:32	Having children
00:21:32	is an important decision.
00:21:34	Your health care, providers
00:21:34	and what you can services
00:21:37	you can have that's
00:21:37	an important economic impact.
00:21:40	And so I don't think
00:21:40	this issue
00:21:41	was disconnected and separate.
00:21:43	It's a big issue that impacts
00:21:43	so many aspects of the lives
00:21:46	of Ohioans and women
00:21:46	across the country.
00:21:48	Republicans
00:21:48	have a 4 to 3 advantage
00:21:49	on the Ohio Supreme Court.
00:21:51	Democrats would have to win
00:21:51	all three seats
00:21:53	that are on this ballot
00:21:53	to gain control of the court,
00:21:56	and incumbent
00:21:56	Justice Melodee Stewart
00:21:56	is being challenged
00:21:58	by her Republican colleague,
00:21:58	Joe Deters.
00:22:00	And it looks like it's an
00:22:00	uphill battle for Democrats.
00:22:03	And yet there are several
00:22:03	abortion related laws
00:22:05	that are going to come
00:22:05	before the court.
00:22:07	You have three,
00:22:07	at least members of the court
00:22:09	who have said that
00:22:09	they believe
00:22:11	that life begins
00:22:11	at conception.
00:22:12	How do you
00:22:14	this is this is going to be
00:22:14	rough for you to win.
00:22:16	It's a big fight.
00:22:17	I will acknowledge that.
00:22:18	But I don't think it's quite
00:22:18	the uphill battle
00:22:20	that everyone
00:22:20	makes it out to be.
00:22:21	When the issues are this clear
00:22:23	and when the will
00:22:23	of the voters
00:22:24	is this disconnected
00:22:24	from their elected officials?
00:22:27	I think that argument is a
00:22:27	little simpler for us to make.
00:22:29	It doesn't make it
00:22:29	less difficult,
00:22:30	but the choice is clear.
00:22:32	And I think on the Supreme
00:22:32	Court races in particular,
00:22:35	what we know for sure
00:22:35	is that Ohio
00:22:36	voters are sick of
00:22:36	out-of-touch,
00:22:38	extreme politicians
00:22:38	who don't listen to them.
00:22:40	They are sick of,
00:22:40	nepotism and corruption
00:22:44	guiding so much of Ohio
00:22:44	state government.
00:22:46	And it's worth noting
00:22:47	that Joe Deters
00:22:47	has publicly admitted
00:22:50	that the only reason
00:22:50	he got the appointment
00:22:52	to the Supreme Court
00:22:52	was because he had to promise
00:22:52	the Republican Party
00:22:55	to run against Melodee
00:22:55	Stewart.
00:22:57	That's pretty shameful.
00:22:58	But when all of these
00:22:58	decisions
00:22:59	are presented to voters
00:23:01	and they have the opportunity
00:23:01	to make a decision,
00:23:02	we think that those choices
00:23:02	are clear.
00:23:04	And our job for the next eight
00:23:06	weeks
00:23:06	is to make make that case,
00:23:07	which we're absolutely going
00:23:07	to do.
00:23:09	On Thursday
00:23:09	afternoon, Trump announced
00:23:10	there would not be another
00:23:10	debate, though
00:23:12	Harris had said
00:23:12	she wanted one.
00:23:15	Circling back
00:23:15	on the Springfield rumors,
00:23:17	Alex Triana
00:23:18	sent me a statement
00:23:18	that reads in part, quote,
00:23:20	I am mindful
00:23:20	that the Haitian population
00:23:23	in Springfield is largely
00:23:23	there through legal means.
00:23:25	But the shock to the community
00:23:25	remains
00:23:27	the same as people
00:23:27	with different cultural
00:23:29	norms, customs and traditions
00:23:29	settle there.
00:23:32	We've heard various stories
00:23:33	about some cultural
00:23:33	differences
00:23:34	that involve food choices
00:23:34	and other lifestyle choices
00:23:37	that most Americans
00:23:38	might find odd at the least,
00:23:38	and objectionable at worst.
00:23:42	I've heard these stories,
00:23:42	even from our own Republican
00:23:44	leaders and Clark County
00:23:45	Senator Vance has likely heard
00:23:45	similar stories.
00:23:48	While I personally cannot
00:23:49	corroborate them,
00:23:49	that's not my interest.
00:23:51	I am the child of immigrants
00:23:52	who also came here
00:23:52	bringing cultural norms
00:23:54	that were different
00:23:54	than most of our neighbors.
00:23:56	So I have some sympathy
00:23:58	for the plight of Haitians
00:23:58	finding a new home.
00:24:00	But none of this
00:24:01	excuse is a broken
00:24:01	southern border,
00:24:03	a badly managed
00:24:03	immigration process,
00:24:05	and the policies
00:24:05	of Biden-Harris
00:24:07	that have fundamentally
00:24:07	changed
00:24:08	the immigration situation
00:24:08	in America
00:24:10	and have created challenges
00:24:11	for communities, absorbing
00:24:11	huge population changes
00:24:14	with little help from the
00:24:14	federal government and, quote,
00:24:17	the Ohio Democratic Party
00:24:17	didn't issue
00:24:19	an official statement
00:24:19	on the Springfield rumors,
00:24:21	Democrats
00:24:21	but several prominent
00:24:23	shared statements
00:24:23	from other accounts
00:24:25	denouncing Trump and Vance
00:24:25	for stating them as fact.
00:24:28	Columbus Representative Latina
00:24:28	Humphrey wrote a post on X
00:24:31	directed at Vance.
00:24:32	Your remarks are clearly a
00:24:32	part of the same old playbook
00:24:35	that we've seen
00:24:35	for hundreds of years in Ohio
00:24:37	being rolled out to divide
00:24:37	and create hate and quote.
00:24:41	House Minority Leader
00:24:41	Allison Russo
00:24:43	also wrote of the parents
00:24:43	of 11 year old Aiden Clark,
00:24:46	again quoting,
00:24:46	it is absolutely unforgivable.
00:24:48	These parents have to stand up
00:24:48	in public
00:24:50	and beg elected officials
00:24:50	and candidates
00:24:52	to stop using the tragedy
00:24:52	of their dead
00:24:54	child
00:24:54	as a trope for hate, fear
00:24:56	and political score,
00:24:57	making this family
00:24:57	Aiden's memory,
00:24:59	and the entire Springfield
00:24:59	community deserve better.
00:25:02	And quote.
00:25:03	And Representative Casey
00:25:03	Weinstein on a story
00:25:05	about a bomb threat, prompting
00:25:06	police response in Springfield
00:25:06	on Thursday, wrote, quote,
00:25:10	these racist lies
00:25:10	have consequences, end quote.
00:25:14	And that is it for this week
00:25:14	for my colleagues
00:25:15	at the Statehouse News
00:25:15	Bureau of Ohio
00:25:17	Public Radio and Television.
00:25:17	Thanks for watching.
00:25:19	Please check out our website
00:25:19	at State news.org
00:25:21	or find us online by searching
00:25:21	the State of Ohio show.
00:25:25	You can also hear more
00:25:25	from the Bureau
00:25:26	on our podcast,
00:25:26	The Ohio State House scoop.
00:25:29	Look for it
00:25:29	every Monday morning
00:25:30	wherever
00:25:30	you get your podcasts.
00:25:32	And please join us again
00:25:32	next time
00:25:33	here for the State of Ohio.
00:25:35	We leave you this week
00:25:36	with images from the State
00:25:36	House's
00:25:38	annual observance of the 9/11
00:25:38	anniversary,
00:25:40	a display of 2977 flags
00:25:40	set up entirely by volunteers.
00:26:06	Support
00:26:06	for the Statehouse News Bureau
00:26:08	comes from Medical Mutual,
00:26:09	dedicated to the health
00:26:09	and well-being of Ohioans,
00:26:12	offering health insurance
00:26:12	plans, as well as dental,
00:26:15	vision and wellness programs
00:26:15	to help people
00:26:17	achieve their goals
00:26:17	and remain healthy.
00:26:19	More at Med mutual.com.
00:26:21	The law offices of Porter,
00:26:21	right, Morris and Arthur LLP.
00:26:24	Porter Wright is dedicated
00:26:24	to bringing inspired legal
00:26:27	outcomes to the Ohio business
00:26:27	community.
00:26:30	More at porterwright.com.
00:26:31	Porter Wright
00:26:31	inspired Every day
00:26:34	in Ohio Education Association,
00:26:34	representing 120,000
00:26:37	educators who are united
00:26:37	in their mission
00:26:39	to create the excellent
00:26:39	public schools.
00:26:41	Every child
00:26:41	deserves more at OHEA.org.

Note : Transcripts are compiled from uncorrected captions