Immigrants eating pets.
One of the most striking claims from Donald Trump during last night’s US presidential debate was when he amplified a false claim that has gone viral that numerous Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing residents’ pets or taking wildlife from parks for food.
“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,” Mr Trump said during the debate.
Kamala Harris laughed and shook her head. The debate moderator said there had been no credible reports of pets being harmed.
But Mr Trump countered that he had seen TV interviews of people who said their dogs had been taken and eaten.
He also repeated his falsehood that millions of migrants were pouring into the United States from foreign prisons and mental institutions. “They are taking over the towns. They’re taking over buildings. They’re going in violently,” he said.
Migrants have not staged any violent takeovers of American towns.
Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance and other Republicans, officials and influencers have pushed the unfounded rumours out of Springfield, that have thrust the city’s growing Haitian population into the centre of the US presidential race.
“Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio!” Republicans on the US House Judiciary Committee posted on their X account, with an obviously fake image of Mr Trump rescuing a white duck and a striped cat.
SAVE THEM. https://t.co/T8Oht5tqhY
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) September 11, 2024
Save them. pic.twitter.com/hSma9hSwtO
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) September 11, 2024
“Please vote for Trump so Haitian immigrants don’t eat us,” Senator Ted Cruz posted over an image of kittens.
Some right-wing social media accounts had amplified a news report about a woman in Ohio allegedly eating and killing a pet cat. And while no evidence emerged linking the woman to migrants or the Haitian community, footage of her arrest was widely shared by influencers.
City law enforcement quickly debunked the conspiracy theories.
“There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” Springfield police said in a statement, adding there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaged in illegal activities like squatting in front of residents’ homes.
But the disinformation posts have snowballed, having been viewed millions of times. X owner Elon Musk, who recently endorsed Mr Trump and has 197 million followers on the platform, has reposted some of the images.
Mr Vance, who is from Ohio, took to X to claim that “Haitian illegal immigrants (are) draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio.
“Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”
Mr Trump himself weighed in on Monday, posting on Truth Social: “20,000 Haitian migrants were dumped into the small town of Springfield, Ohio,” referring to the large influx of migrants from the impoverished Caribbean nation in recent years.
Social services, schools and housing have been stressed in the city for years, with some pointing to migration as a factor. The issues have been brought up at city functions, including an 27 August Springfield City Commission.
The White House condemned the viral misinformation regarding Springfield, saying such remarks sought to divide Americans through lies and was based on racism.