What Are the Claims Fueling Security Threats?
Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has continued to promote false claims that migrants are eating household pets in Springfield, Ohio, despite repeated debunking by city officials. The baseless rumours have led to a series of security threats, including the cancellation of events at Wittenberg University due to a threat targeting members of the Haitian community.
How Does Vance Defend These False Claims?
In recent appearances on Sunday talk shows Vance defended the unfounded stories. “Media ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes,” Vance claimed. He added, “If I have to create stories so that the American media pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.” The US senator, who represents Ohio, stated, “It comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents. I say that we’re creating a story, meaning we’re creating the American media focusing on it.”
How Have City Officials and State Leaders Responded?
Vance first introduced the animal-eating claims last week, which Trump subsequently amplified during his first presidential debate against Kamala Harris. Since then, Springfield city officials have repeatedly debunked these claims. Mayor Rob Rue addressed the situation, saying, “People’s pets are safe in Springfield, Ohio. We reached out to the JD Vance Campaign to let them know that we do not have any evidence that has happened, and I’ve made it known in multiple interviews that this is not true.”
Rue emphasized the impact of such falsehoods, stating, “We need folks to understand, especially those who have a microphone that’s being listened to around the world. They need to understand the weight of their words and how it can negatively affect communities.”
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine criticized the rumours as “a piece of garbage that was simply not true.”
What Are the Consequences of the Spread of False Claims?
The spread of false claims has had serious consequences. Last week, Springfield had to evacuate three schools and other city buildings due to threats, including one that targeted Haitians with disparaging comments. Wittenberg University police issued a campus alert regarding an email threat of a shooting aimed at the Haitian community. “The message targeted Haitian members of our community,” police stated. “All students, faculty, and staff should exercise extreme caution and be alert to all your surroundings.”
In addition, Springfield police reported calls about a supposed Proud Boys march in the city following the circulation of a video showing men with flags and logos associated with the far-right group.
What Are Trump's Promises and Vance's Position?
Vance told CBS News that he did not “align himself” with the Proud Boys but criticized Harris’s stance on immigration, describing it as “open borders.” Meanwhile, Trump has echoed Vance’s baseless claims, asserting that the town had been “destroyed” by immigration. While campaigning in California, Trump pledged “large deportations” from Springfield if elected and has promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants nationwide.
Springfield, a Rust Belt city in southwest Ohio with a population of about 60,000, has seen an influx of immigrants in recent years, many of whom are from Haiti and have legal permission to be in the US under a federal program for Haitians.
