COLUMBUS, Ohio — A day after he announced additional security measures for schools, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and several state leaders met in Springfield to discuss support and provide an update on threats made to the city.
During a press conference on Monday, DeWine announced additional support for Springfield, which has received at least 33 separate bomb threats in the last week. Many of the bomb threats targeted schools, hospitals and government buildings. All of the threats were deemed a hoax.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue told reporters in another press conference on Tuesday that the city is asking those on the national stage to tamper their words and speak truth.
"We did not have threats seven days ago, we did not have these concerns seven days ago, we did not have these hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in Springfield and from the state of Ohio's support seven days ago," Rue said.
DeWine echoed his words from Monday and said the state will do what it can to help Springfield and families feel safe.
“We want to make sure as school continues this week in Springfield that parents have confidence that the school is, in fact, safe. To do that… we are taking 36 members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol field force,” DeWine said Monday.
Those troopers were at schools in Springfield early Tuesday morning to conduct sweeps. DeWine said that protocol will continue as long as necessary.
Springfield has been at the center of a nationwide immigration debate after false claims surfaced that Haitian immigrants in the city were eating neighborhood pets.
Roughly 15,000 immigrants have arrived in the past few years in the city of about 60,000.
City leaders shared that there have been no credible or detailed reports of any pets being abducted or eaten.
Those false claims were amplified by former President Donald Trump during last week’s debate and were spread online by his running mate, JD Vance.
Vance was asked in an interview whether he knew the claims were false.
“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do," Vance said, quickly clarifying that he "created the focus that allowed the media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by policies.”'
RELATED: Vance doesn't back away from false claims about migrants in Ohio even amid threats to the community
When asked about the claims, DeWine said “There’s a lot of garbage on the internet and, you know, this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true."
The city sent out a press release on Tuesday responding to the spread of misinformation.
"The City of Springfield is deeply concerned about the recent spread of misinformation that has significantly impacted our community, creating unnecessary fear, division and financial strain. Unfounded claims, including sensational rumors, have led to increased expenses and monetary damages for the City, as we have been forced to allocate resources to address these falsehoods and maintain the peace and unity we work hard to foster."
The city said that schools are also being affected and threats have been creating additional anxiety for families.
"Misinformation, particularly when amplified by media outlets and on social platforms, has real-world consequences. The heightened national attention and media focus have exacerbated the situation, placing undue stress on our residents and our community at large. While we support the right to free speech, it is critical to acknowledge that words can have serious implications, especially when they are not grounded in facts."