Father of 11-year-old killed in Ohio crash fumes at Trump, Vance for using son ‘as a political tool’

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nathan Clark, an Ohio man who lost his 11-year-old son Aiden in a bus crash last year, stood before the Springfield City Commission meeting on Tuesday, begging Donald Trump, JD Vance and other “morally bankrupt” politicians to stop using his son’s tragic death for “political gain.” “You know, I wish that my son, Aidan Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man,” Clark began while standing next to his wife and mother of their son, Danielle Clark. “If that guy killed my 11-year-old son the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone.” Clark told those at the meeting that former president Donald Trump, Senator JD Vance, Representative Chip Roy and Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno had all “spoken” his son’s name and “used his death for political gain.” “This needs to stop now they can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. On Tuesday, Vance wrote on X that “a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here” and criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for “bragging about giving amnesty to thousands of Haitian migrants.” In response to Clark’s speech, Luke Schroeder, a spokesman for Senator Vance, said, “Kamala Harris should apologize to the angel mothers who testified before Congress yesterday. The Clark family is in Senator Vance’s prayers.” On Monday, an X account run by the Trump campaign posted a side-by-side photo of Aiden next to Joseph claiming the 11-year-old “was killed on his way to school by a Haitian migrant” and criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for refusing to say the child’s name.