Nathan Clark Condemns Use of His Son’s Tragic Death to Fuel Anti-Immigrant Sentiments
Nathan Clark, the father of Aiden Clark, an 11 year old who tragically died in an accident in Springfield, Ohio, has publicly denounced former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance. At a Springfield City Commission meeting on Tuesday, Clark accused these political figures of exploiting his son’s death for their own agendas.
Clark’s comments were pointed and emotional. “I wish my son had been killed by a 60 year-old white man,” he said. “It might sound harsh, but if that had been the case, maybe the hate-filled rhetoric wouldn’t be directed at us.”
Aiden Clark died in August 2023 when a minivan struck the school bus he was on. The driver, a Haitian immigrant, was subsequently sentenced to 9 to 13 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
In the wake of Aiden’s death, Springfield has seen a backlash against its Haitian immigrant community, which has been growing in recent years. This surge of immigration, with approximately 20,000 Haitian arrivals over the past three years, has been linked to both the town’s revitalization and increased strain on local services.
Republican leaders, including Trump and Vance, have used this case to criticize immigration policies, portraying Haitian immigrants as a threat despite their legal status under the Temporary Federal Protection program. Trump, in particular, has made inflammatory claims about Haitian immigrants, which Clark has vehemently rejected.
Clark labeled these political figures as “politically bankrupt” for using his son’s tragic death as a platform for anti-immigrant rhetoric. “My son’s death was a tragedy for our community and the nation,” Clark said. “But it should not be twisted into a narrative of hate.”
Clark called for an apology from those who have used his son’s death for their own purposes and emphasized that Aiden’s death was a result of a tragic accident, not a reason to incite division.