(NewsNation) — The mayor of Springfield, Ohio, which has been flung into the national spotlight over false claims by Donald Trump and JD Vance about Haitian immigrants eating neighbors’ pets, said the city would face significant “strain” and a “tax on resources” if the former president were to visit.
Republican Mayor Rob Rue all but advised Trump not to visit the city, which has been contending with ongoing security threats since the former president and his running mate made the unsubstantiated claims.
“This is going to be a tax on resources if either candidate was to come to our community,” Rue said at a joint news conference with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Thursday. “I believe Mr. Trump has said multiple times, just as recently as last night, that he’s going to visit our town the next two weeks, and it will be a strain of resources.
“While the visit brings attention to our city, it also represents logistical challenges that require careful planning and allocation of our resources to minimize disruption of daily life as a visit, as a visit from the former president will undoubtedly place additional demands on our safety infrastructure.”
Despite Rue making multiple statements about the hardship the visit would cause, Trump said during a campaign rally Wednesday that he plans to visit Springfield in the next two weeks.
Gov. DeWine said that the state would aid in providing help to the city if Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris or either of their running mates decided to visit.
“The mayor has made a statement about resources. I think that’s absolutely true. As governor, we always welcome presidential candidates to the state … and we certainly will make the right arrangements and take care of, at least part, of the security along with the Secret Service,” DeWine said.
More than 30 bomb threats have been made against schools, government buildings and city officials’ homes since last week. The threats have forced evacuations and closures. Springfield also canceled its annual celebration of diversity, arts and culture in response, and state police have been deployed to city schools.
DeWine sent dozens of members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol to all 18 city schools, where sweeps will be conducted twice a day to prevent further disruption and help reassure parents and students the buildings are safe. Even with the increased police presence, though, many parents still kept their kids home from school this week.
The increased threats to public safety have led Rue to issue a proclamation in order to secure security resources more quickly.
“We are addressing these threats with the seriousness they warrant and are taking immediate steps to ensure the security of both our community and our employees. Our commitment to preventing harm is unwavering,” said Rue in a statement.
The proclamation is established under the authority of the city of Springfield’s charter and codified ordinances and will be in place until the city deems that public safety concerns have ended.
Trump and his Vance have used the false cat-eating rumors to draw attention to the city’s 15,000 Haitian immigrants, whose arrival to fill manufacturing, distribution and warehouse jobs has put a severe strain on local resources.
Claims of eating pets have been refuted by local authorities, who said there are “no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community” in a statement.
On Tuesday, city officials said that misinformation and falsehoods about Haitian immigrants have sowed fear and division, disrupted learning and cost taxpayer dollars.
In a statement, they begged public figures, community members and the media to “move beyond divisive rhetoric and instead work toward fostering unity, understanding and respect.” The statement did not mention Trump or Vance by name.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
