Two cities rocked by false Trump claims prepare for him to visit
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Former President Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 18 in Uniondale, New York. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
The mayors of Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, have offered differing responses to the prospect of a visit to their cities from former President Trump.
Why it matters: Both mayors are grappling with high tensions and safety concerns after Trump and other GOP lawmakers spread false or exaggerated claims about their cities.
Catch up quick: During last week's presidential debate, Trump amplified baseless claims about migrants in both cities, exaggerating the state of Venezuelan gang activity in Aurora and falsely claiming that Haitians in Springfield were eating cats and dogs.
- Republicans had already echoed misinformation that members of a Venezuelan prison gang had taken over apartments in Aurora.
- Trump and his running-mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) have tripled down on conspiracy claims about Haitians over the past week, even as the city has been rocked by threats.
- Trump vowed Friday to conduct the "largest deportation" of undocumented immigrants in the country's history, starting in Springfield and Aurora.
Driving the news: At a Wednesday night rally, Trump said he planned to make stops in both cities within the next two weeks.
- "You may never see me again, but that's OK," Trump said to the crowd at his New York rally.
- He continued: "I got to do what I got to do. Whatever happened to Trump? Well, he never got out of Springfield."
State of play: Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, told Axios Thursday that city officials are waiting for confirmation from the campaign that Trump is coming.
- "I'm very excited that the former president wants to visit our city to see for himself that the narrative that we are being overrun by TdA gang members is false," Coffman said in a statement shared with Axios, referring to Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan prison gang.
- Coffman had previously said apartment complexes had "fallen" to gangs, but later said he agreed with police that gangs weren't in control.
- He added that he was eager for Aurora's police chief to "have the opportunity to brief the former president on our successful efforts to identify and arrest TdA gang members."
However, the Republican mayor of Springfield, Rob Rue, said at a news conference Tuesday that a visit from Trump would put "an extreme strain" on the city's resources, following reports the former president was planning a trip there.
- "So it'd be fine with me if they decided not to make that visit," Rue added.
Zoom out: Despite calls from members of their party to stop circulating the rumors and consistent reports that the claims were false, the GOP ticket doubled down and has since repeatedly shirked blame for the threats to Springfield that have ensued.
- The Wall Street Journal reported that on Sept. 9 — the day Vance first amplified claims about migrants in Springfield — the city manager of Springfield told Vance's office that the rumors weren't true.
- The VP nominee said at a Tuesday rally that "every single one of those bomb threats was a hoax," and argued that all of the threats came from overseas.
- But Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, told PBS Newshour some threats came from inside the U.S., emphasizing the unfounded claims "need to stop."
Go deeper: Vance pushes debunked pet-eating claims yet again
