They’re Hearing Your Dogwhistles! They’re Eating Your Crap!

Trump’s Xenophobic Lies About Haitian Immigrants Stoke Racist Violence

Springfield, Ohio, a small city known for its quiet suburban life, has been shaken by false rumors and a surge of hate. At the heart of the controversy is an unsubstantiated claim that Haitian immigrants in the area were stealing and eating pets.

What Trump Said

Donald Trump, never one to shy away from exploiting racial fears, seized upon these tensions in the most grotesque way during his recent presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Without evidence, Trump declared,

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”

This baseless rumor, initially spread on social media, has since escalated into a national conversation, fueled by political figures like Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance. The consequences have been profound, with bomb threats, far-right marches, and growing fear among the Haitian community.