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Trump Wants to Visit Springfield. Its Congressman Won’t Say If He’s Welcome.

Springfield has been the center of right-wing conspiracy theories about its Haitian population fueled by Donald Trump. The city’s congressman is not answering many questions about the situation.

Mike Turner
Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio represents the community that has been plagued by conspiracy theories fueled by the right. He hasn’t answered many questions about the fallout. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The lawmaker whose district encompasses Springfield, Ohio, waited nine days after the presidential debate that supercharged conservative conspiracy theories about the city’s Haitian population to make public comments on the chaos unfolding in his district.

And when he did finally talk about it, Republican Rep. Mike Turner failed to address another decision sure to bring more attention to the community: Former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would travel there.

For a week, Turner’s office didn’t respond to multiple interview requests or a list of questions from NOTUS, including whether he had been in touch with the Trump campaign. On Thursday night, a spokesperson referred NOTUS to a CNN interview from that afternoon, where Turner downplayed Trump’s role in fueling the false narrative that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield.