One of the most bizarre moments during the presidential debate on Tuesday came when Donald Trump went on an extended rant claiming that immigrants are “eating the pets of the people that live” in Springfield, Ohio. “This is what’s happening in our country,” he said, “and it’s a shame.”
It was one of the many lies Trump told onstage, and ABC News anchor David Muir immediately called him out on it: Springfield city officials have emphasized that there have been no reports of immigrants attacking the community’s pets. Trump’s remarks quickly became a subject of ridicule, with social-media users remixing the odd sound bite into a catchy meme.
But the former president has continued doubling down on the debunked conspiracy theory. Trump and other Republicans have continued spreading this disinformation at rallies, in media interviews, on social media, and by putting up billboards. The frenzy has led to the city of Springfield being a target of bomb threats, which authorities said contained explicit anti-immigrant remarks. Some Haitian families in the community are now saying they are afraid for their lives.
So how did this racist conspiracy theory born in the far-right corners of the internet make it out of the mouth of the Republican presidential candidate? Here, a quick-and-dirty guide to what’s actually happening in Ohio and why Republicans are so invested in spreading misinformation about it.
What are the rumors exactly?
Over the past several days, Republicans have been pushing a conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in Springfield have been stealing and eating the pets of community members. Prominent conservatives including Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, and Texas senator Ted Cruz, as well as public figures like Elon Musk, have shared social-media posts spreading the rumors. Some of the pets they’ve baselessly claimed have been attacked by immigrants include cats, dogs, and ducks. They’re even making memes to amplify this disinformation.
Simultaneously, the Trump campaign has seized on the accidental death of an 11-year-old student in Springfield, using the case to spew vitriol against immigrants in social-media posts. Vance posted on Tuesday morning that “a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here,” even though that isn’t what happened; the student was accidentally killed when a driver crashed against his school bus.
“To clear the air, my son, Aiden Clark, was not murdered,” the child’s father, Nathan Clark, said on Tuesday. “He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti. This tragedy is felt all over this community, the state, and even the nation. But don’t spin this towards hate.”
Why are Haitian immigrants specifically being targeted?
About 20,000 Haitians have relocated to Springfield, a blue-collar town, in hopes of securing manufacturing jobs in its recently opened factories and warehouses. Trump and Vance have seized on the influx to rail against the Biden administration’s border and immigration policies. But even though Republicans have painted them as unauthorized migrants, the reality is that, in June, more than 300,000 Haitians received an extension on their temporary protected status (TPS) owing to the ongoing humanitarian crises on the Caribbean island. In short, these immigrants are legally allowed to live and work in the U.S.
Tensions against Haitian community members were sparked in August 2023 following the death of Aiden, an 11-year-old student who died in a traffic accident after Hermanio Joseph, a Haitian immigrant, veered into oncoming traffic and crashed into a school bus. More than 20 students were injured in the accident. Authorities say that Joseph’s driver’s license was not valid in Ohio, and there was no evidence that he was driving under the influence. The 36-year-old was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in May and could face a sentence of up to 13 years in prison.
Since then, some Springfield residents have routinely packed official community meetings to claim that the immigrants are bringing disease and crime to the town, which health officials and police dispute. The Trump campaign is tapping into and amplifying these unfounded claims.
What have Springfield authorities said about the conspiracy theory?
At a meeting of the Springfield City Commission on Tuesday before the debate, Mayor Rob Rue said that there are no documented cases of immigrants eating pets in the city. “Rumors like these are taking away from the real issues, such as housing concerns, resources needed for our schools, and our overwhelmed health-care system,” he said. Rue added that the conspiracy theory seemed to be based on the case of an American woman — with no connection to Haiti or any other foreign country — who allegedly attacked a cat and was subsequently charged with animal cruelty in Canton, Ohio, which is about 160 miles away from Springfield. Right-wing social-media accounts falsely identified the woman as someone of Haitian descent before the conspiracy theory took off.
How has Aiden Clark’s family responded?
His parents, Nathan and Danielle Clark, spoke at the commission meeting and condemned how Trump and other Republicans have weaponized their son’s death to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment. “They have spoken my son’s name and used his death for political gain,” Nathan said. “They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even untrue claims of fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”
Nathan added that Aiden was a child who loved gardening and took the time to research the cultures of the people he interacted with in the community. “Did you know that one of the worst feelings in the world is not being able to protect your child?” he said. “Even worse, we can’t even protect his memory when he’s gone. Please, stop the hate.”
What’s happened since Trump pushed this conspiracy theory at the debate?
Following the debate, some Haitian families in Springfield didn’t send their children to school out of fear for their safety, local advocates told the Haitian Times. One woman said that, even before the debate, her car had been vandalized multiple times — which she attributed to the uptick in anti-Haitian sentiment blanketing the community.
On Thursday, city, county, and school buildings across Springfield were shut down following bomb threats. Mayor Rue told the Washington Post that the threat “used hateful language towards immigrants and Haitians in our community.” Then, on Friday, a middle school was closed and two elementary schools were evacuated after police were alerted of new threats.
Local officials have called for Republicans to stop spreading misinformation. “It’s frustrating when national politicians, on the national stage, mischaracterize what is actually going on and misrepresent our community,” Rue told the New York Times.
Community leaders and groups such as the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network have demanded that Trump and Vance issue a retraction, but the campaign has refused. Even singer John Legend, a Springfield native, has come forward in defense of Haitian immigrants. “Nobody’s eating cats. Nobody’s eating dogs,” he said in a video posted on Instagram. “We all just want to live and flourish and raise our families in a healthy and safe environment.”
What is the goal behind spreading this type of misinformation?
As Nathan Clark stated, the goal is simply political gain. Trump is clearly losing on issues such as abortion, which remain one of the top concerns for voters this election. As we get closer to November, the former president and other Republicans are attempting to tap into certain Americans’ nativist sentiments and cast doubt on Vice-President Kamala Harris’s record on immigration. Trump’s rise nearly ten years ago was marked by furious anti-immigrant and xenophobic remarks — and by fanning the flames of bigotry, the GOP is hoping voters will deliver it an election victory once again.
