'They're eating the pets': Trump repeats false claim about Haitian immigrants

Former President Donald Trump repeated a false and outlandish claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, have abducted and eaten their neighbours' pets.

Trump made the comments Tuesday early in his first debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, shortly after Harris mocked his rallies as so filled with fictions and fringe theories that attendees leave early. Trump responded by trying to pivot back to the subject under discussion, immigration.

"A lot of towns don't want to talk about it because they're so embarrassed by it," he 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."

Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, have amplified the internet rumor on the campaign trail this week. It stems from viral social media posts that have spread as Vance and others have sought to stir fears about the growing Haitian population in Springfield, though members of the community are living and working in the United States legally.

Local officials have found no evidence, credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed by Haitian residents.

When David Muir, a debate moderator, noted the lack of evidence, Trump said he had gotten his information from "the people on television saying my dog was taken and used for food."

Harris laughed. Trump's "extreme" statements, she said, are one of the reasons she has the endorsements of 200 Republicans.

Vance first made the claim about Haitian immigrants Monday, saying "it's coming to your city next." A news release from the Trump campaign later recounted the falsehoods. Vance then appeared to backtrack Tuesday morning in a social media post, saying his office had "received many inquiries" about the false claims. But he added that "it's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false."

That has not stopped the social media platforms from being awash with memes and artificial intelligence-generated images of cats in support of Trump.

Job opportunities in Springfield, a city of roughly 58,000 people between Columbus and Dayton, have attracted thousands of Haitians since the pandemic began, with city officials estimating that as many as 20,000 have arrived. By some accounts, the immigrant community has helped revitalize the town, though it has put pressure on housing, schools and hospitals.