Trump's baseless claim about immigrants eating pets debunked by officials, yet conspiracy gains traction in debate and social media.
During his initial debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump reiterated unfounded claims that immigrants in Ohio were eating pets, a statement that had already been dismissed by local authorities.
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"In Springfield, they are eating the dogs," Trump asserted during the ABC debate held in Philadelphia on Tuesday. This comment was a repetition of an internet conspiracy theory involving Haitian immigrants, a theory that had been debunked by multiple news outlets earlier that week.
"They’re eating the cats," Trump added. However, local law enforcement officials have confirmed that there is no proof supporting these claims.
This statement is just the latest in a series of exaggerations or outright falsehoods that Trump and his closest advisors continue to promote, even when confronted with factual evidence. The pet-eating rumors initially spread through a Facebook post that referred to an incident reported by the "neighbor’s daughter’s friend," according to the local police.
Springfield Police clarified on Monday that the original poster did not provide firsthand knowledge of the incident. The post alleged that a pet cat was discovered hanging from a tree branch near the home of a Haitian neighbor, with the implication that the animal had been carved up for consumption.
Vice President Harris responded by shaking her head and laughing as Trump pressed on with the rumor, which had also been echoed earlier in the week by his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, and circulated widely on social media by conservatives, including billionaire Elon Musk.
David Muir, the debate moderator, informed Trump that Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck had confirmed that there were no reports of pets being harmed by immigrants.
Despite being told again that the claim was false, Trump insisted, "But the people on television say their dog was eaten by the people that went there."
It is true that an influx of migrants has placed some strain on Springfield’s resources. Since 2020, roughly 15,000 Haitian immigrants have arrived in the city of about 59,000 residents, many under a program granting them temporary protected status.
During the debate, Trump made additional inaccurate statements about immigration, such as suggesting that the number of immigrants entering the country since President Biden took office equaled the population of New York state—around 20 million people.
However, a recent analysis by The Wall Street Journal found that approximately 10 million immigrants have come to the U.S. over the last four years, with a significant portion of them entering the country through Green Cards or other legal visas.
For some members of the Republican Party, Trump’s performance during the debate indicated that his campaign was losing direction. "It’s gimmicky and lacks substance," said one House GOP lawmaker, noting that Republicans had spent time criticizing Harris for her failure to define her policies, adding, "This isn’t helping."
Conservative pundits expressed frustration over Trump’s perpetuation of falsehoods, particularly his willingness to repeat baseless rumors circulating on social media.
"You idiots just tricked Trump into repeating your lie about pets," conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson from Atlanta posted on X shortly after the debate. "Congrats on making tomorrow’s news cycle by lying so Trump would pick it up," he added.
Republicans also voiced complaints that the moderators were unfair to Trump during the debate. "The moderators might as well be working for the DNC. This is absurd," said South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. California Representative Darrell Issa echoed these sentiments, stating, "This was the worst-moderated debate in history."
Trump’s remarks quickly spread across social media, with users sharing memes and AI-generated images of Trump with various animals. One AI-generated caricature depicted him rescuing a large ginger cat from a burning building. Trump later shared one of these doctored images on his Truth Social platform, which showed him on a private jet surrounded by cats and ducks.
The conspiracy theory had been gaining traction on social media in the days leading up to the debate. However, posts on X containing phrases like "they’re eating the pets," "they’re eating the dogs," and "they’re eating the cats" surged after the debate, according to a report by PeakMetrics, a company that monitors online conversations.
"These two are so entrenched in online rumors that they’ve lost touch with what most of us are actually concerned about," said Ohio Representative Greg Landsman, a Democrat representing a competitive House district where Senator Vance resides. "The notion that Vance is perpetuating this absurd and racist conspiracy theory—that Haitians, who fled here to escape violence and unrest in Haiti, are stealing and eating people’s pets—is utterly insane."