Local Republican leaders are challenging claims made by former President Donald Trump regarding Haitian immigrants in their communities. One such leader is Camera Bartolotta, a Republican state senator from Pennsylvania, who felt compelled to speak out when she heard Trump had singled out Charleroi, a small town in her district, as part of his immigration focus.
At a recent rally, Trump claimed that Charleroi, with a population of 4,000, had been overrun by Haitian migrants under Vice President Kamala Harris’ watch. He alleged that the influx of immigrants was bankrupting the town, driving up crime, and straining local resources. However, Bartolotta, familiar with the town’s reality, felt the need to set the record straight. She took to social media, clarifying that the immigrants were legally residing in the area, working, paying taxes, and contributing to the community.
In an interview with NBC News, Bartolotta expressed frustration over how misinformation had created unnecessary fear and division. She emphasized that the immigrants in Charleroi were fleeing difficult situations and contributing positively to the town. “I represent everyone in my district, even those people who are there on work visas,” she stated, adding that she felt compelled to defend her constituents against distorted narratives.
Bartolotta is not the only Republican leader pushing back against Trump’s rhetoric. In Springfield, Ohio, Mayor Rob Rue and Clark County Commission President Melanie Flax Wilt have rejected false claims that immigrants were eating residents’ pets. These baseless rumors, spread by Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, have stirred tensions in their community. While local officials have acknowledged some challenges due to the new immigration wave, such as language barriers and a need for more interpreters in schools, they highlight that the immigrants are largely law-abiding and contributing positively to the economy.
Despite their reluctance to directly criticize Trump and Vance, Rue and Flax Wilt have called for a more measured approach to immigration discussions. Rue noted that his city had added thousands of jobs over the past decade and that the influx of immigrants had helped stabilize the local economy. He expressed disappointment that Trump and Vance had chosen to focus on negative aspects of immigration instead of celebrating these successes.
The situation in Charleroi and Springfield has become a flashpoint in the larger immigration debate that is shaping the 2024 election. Trump has frequently mentioned these towns in his campaign speeches, attempting to highlight immigration as a threat to small-town America. Local Republican officials, however, are pushing back, arguing that immigrants are essential to revitalizing communities that have faced economic struggles for years.
Bartolotta, who is a vocal Trump supporter, said she doesn’t hold him personally responsible for the attention Charleroi has received. She even plans to meet with him during his upcoming visit to Pennsylvania, hoping to show him the positive contributions of the immigrants in her district. However, she acknowledged that the political rhetoric has made it difficult for people to discern the truth about the situation on the ground.
In Springfield, Rue expressed similar sentiments, stating that while there were challenges associated with the new immigration wave, the city was not in crisis. He emphasized that the Haitian immigrants were legally present and were helping to stabilize the local economy by filling jobs that were previously hard to fill. Despite this, the divisive national conversation around immigration has put local officials like Rue in a difficult position. Rue, who identifies as a Republican but serves in a nonpartisan role, has faced criticism from within his own party for not fully aligning with Trump’s stance.
Some local Republican leaders, like Laura Rosenberger, the chairman of the Clark County Republican Party, have criticized Rue and Flax Wilt for not offering full-throated support for Trump. Rosenberger argued that their hesitation was damaging to the party’s image and suggested they might need to reconsider their political affiliations.
Meanwhile, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has also weighed in on the issue. In a New York Times op-ed, DeWine expressed disappointment in Trump and Vance for repeating false claims about Springfield’s immigrants. He stressed that such rhetoric was harmful to the community and did not reflect the positive contributions immigrants were making.
As the debate over immigration continues, local Republicans like Bartolotta and Rue are urging a focus on economic growth and job creation rather than divisive rhetoric. They emphasize that their communities are benefiting from the new arrivals, and that the immigrants, far from being a burden, are helping to revive struggling towns.
Bartolotta pointed out that Charleroi, like many towns in southwestern Pennsylvania, has faced significant population decline in recent years. The influx of immigrants has been key to keeping businesses and factories open. For Bartolotta, this is the real story that should be told — one of hard-working people contributing to the community, rather than unfounded claims of crime and chaos.
As for the upcoming election, it remains to be seen how these local dynamics will play out. Both Bartolotta and Rue continue to navigate the tension between their support for Trump and their desire to protect their communities from harmful, misleading narratives. Rue, reflecting on the challenges of his position, remarked that he never anticipated this level of scrutiny when he first ran for office.