Tuesday night’s presidential debate saw Donald Trump emphasize harmful and baseless claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in a small Ohio city. According to the BBC, his accusations persisted during the debate, though local officials have denied that there have been any reported incidents of that nature.
“In Springfield, they are eating the dogs,” Trump said during the debate. “The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating — they are eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Springfield City Commission officials told BBC Verify that “there have been no credible reports” that any event of domestic animal consumption occurred.
“There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” they noted, per the BBC.
Trump’s claims quickly went viral on social media, with Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance doubling down on the former president’s accusations on X, formerly known as Twitter. Vance shared a lengthy message on the platform, which has already acquired more than 14 million views.
“In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who’ve said their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants,” he wrote. “It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”
He added, “Do you know what’s confirmed? That a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here. That local health services have been overwhelmed. That communicable diseases–like TB and HIV–have been on the rise. That local schools have struggled to keep up with newcomers who don’t know English. That rents have risen so fast that many Springfield families can’t afford to put a roof over their head.”
John Kirby, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson, condemned Vance’s claims, describing them as “dangerous” and a “conspiracy theory… based on an element of racism,” the BBC reported.
Many on social media agreed.
Where did the ‘eating pets’ conspiracy theory start?
According to BBC, the origin of Trump’s claims appear to be rooted in several pro-Trump social media accounts. Last month, during a meeting of Springfield’s city commission, a local resident and social media influencer discussed Haitian immigrants, sharing a list of alleged issues with the Springfield Haitian community, including accusing them of slaughtering park ducks for food. The influencer said he believes city officials are being paid to bring in immigrants, but he offered no evidence for his argument.
During the debate, Trump claimed he’s seen “people on television [saying] ‘My dog was taken and used for food.'” However, after looking at archive video of every major U.S. broadcaster, including Fox, CNN and CBS, BBC Verify was not able to find a televised interview or segment regarding the alleged issue.
Nathan Clark’s father wants politicians to stop the hate
Trump and Vance have also used the death of an 11-year-old boy, Aidan Clark, in Springfield, who was killed in a car accident by a Haitian immigrant, to further their conspiracy theories.
The family of the boy has asked them to stop.
“I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man,” his father, Nathan Clark, said at a recent Springfield City Commission, as The Springfield News-Sun reported. I bet you never thought anyone would say something so blunt, but if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone,” Clark told the city hall forum. “The last thing that we need is to have the worst day of our lives violently and constantly shoved in our faces, but even that’s not good enough for them. They take it one step further. They make it seem that our wonderful Aiden appreciates your hate, that we should follow their hate.”
Like the Springfield officials, Canton Police told the BBC that they have not received an official complaint about Haitian immigrants in the area.
“We have not dealt with any complaints of Haitian immigrants at all,” they said.
Springfield has a population of around 60,000, and has seen an influx of immigrants relocate to the Ohio city in recent years. Now, up to 20,000 Springfield residents are Haitian, and they’ve contributed to improving the city’s significant population drop over the last 60 years.
