Ohio’s governor has disputed Donald Trump’s claim that Haitian immigrants in a town are eating the pets of other residents.
During Tuesday’s debate with Kamala Harris, the presidential hopeful said: “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.
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“And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
The state’s Republican governor Mike DeWine – along with a number of Springfield officials – have said the claims were based on rumours.
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“I think we should take the word of the city manager and the mayor that they’ve found no credible evidence of that story – of Haitians eating cats,” Mr DeWine said.
“I think it’s important for us to really focus in Springfield – and this is what we have done – on what’s important.
“Take a community where they now have an additional 15,000 people come in and that’s very unusual.
“It creates particular challenges that we can work on and that’s what we are doing.”
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Mr Trump was pulled up on the claims during the debate with the moderator insisting that local officials had reported no credible reports of such incidents.
Ms Harris, who could be seen laughing and saying “this is unbelievable”, responded when it was her turn: “Talk about extreme.”