During the presidential debate Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump doubled down on the false claim that migrants from Haiti are stealing and eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs.
The people that came in, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said.
According to the Springfield News-Sun, the Springfield Police Department has not received any reports of pets being stolen and eaten.
Migrants have been drawn to the region because of low cost of living and work opportunities, the city says on its site.
The poster went on to make an unsubstantiated claim of Haitians allegedly taking the cat for food.
The resident who took the photo told ABC News he was surprised to see his image used to “push false narratives.”
In the post, Vance pushed the false claim that Haitian immigrants are kidnapping and eating people’s pets in Springfield.
“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” Vance wrote on X.
“Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.
Tuesday night’s presidential debate featured former President Donald Trump reinforcing his baseless accusation that immigrants from Haiti are robbing and consuming Springfield, Ohio residents of their pets.
They are consuming the dogs in Springfield.”. According to Trump, “The individuals who entered are consuming the residents’ pets and cats.”.
These unfounded rumors have proliferated online in recent days, aided and abetted by right-wing politicians such as Sen., the vice presidential nominee. JD Vance— following a flurry of viral social media posts alleging Haitian migrants were kidnapping people’s pets to consume them.
These allegations are untrue, a Springfield, Missouri, representative told ABC News, adding that there have been “no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals in the immigrant community?”. “.”.
Furthermore, no confirmed reports of immigrants participating in unlawful activities, like squatting or littering in front of homes, have been made. Furthermore, the spokesperson stated that there have been no reports of immigrants purposefully obstructing traffic.
The Springfield News-Sun reports that no reports of pets being taken and consumed have been filed with the Springfield Police Department. Even a webpage refuting some of the claims was made by the city.
According to the city’s website, the area has attracted migrants due to its affordable cost of living and abundance of employment opportunities. The county is estimated by the city to contain between 12,000 and 15,000 immigrants, and the county’s housing, healthcare, and educational resources have been strained by the population growth. The city asserts, however, that many of the migrants are federally granted Temporary Protected Status, indicating that they are here lawfully.
The erroneous allegation that immigrants are stealing pets originated from a viral social media post that originated from a Springfield Facebook group. In the post, the poster stated that their neighbor’s daughter’s friend had lost her cat. The poster continued with an unverified allegation that Haitians were stealing the cat to eat.
On social media, the post was shared by Elon Musk and Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist from Turning Point USA.
One of the most popular pictures on the internet, of a man clutching a dead goose, was actually taken in Columbus, Ohio, two months ago rather than Springfield. The local who took the picture expressed his surprise to ABC News at seeing his picture being used to “push false narratives.”. ****.
This myth has been promoted on social media by well-known Republicans. The House Judiciary GOP account posted an AI-generated photo on X that appeared to show Trump clutching ducks and cats.
Vance in particular has exaggerated the false assertion.
A video of Vance reading a letter from Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck regarding the city’s difficulties in providing housing for the increasing number of Haitian immigrants was posted on X, showing him at a Senate Banking Committee hearing in July.
Vance promoted the untrue theory that Haitian immigrants are abducting and consuming locals’ pets in Springfield in the post.
“I brought up the subject of Haitian undocumented immigrants sapping social services and generally wreaking havoc throughout Springfield, Ohio, months ago,” Vance posted on X. According to recent reports, there have been cases of individuals who shouldn’t be in this country kidnapping and eating people’s pets. Republicans have tried to refer to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, the vice president, as the “border czar,” despite her denials. “Where is our border czar?” he asked.
