Republican Donald Trump and his vice president JD Vance have been spreading rumors for days about migrants from Haiti in a small town in the USA. Now the White House has expressed concern.
The US government has strongly condemned former President Donald Trump for spreading unsubstantiated claims about migrants allegedly eating pets. When leaders spread “hateful rhetoric and bizarre slanders” that have been refuted, it is dangerous, said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre in Washington when asked about Trump’s recent comments. “Yes, we are concerned, it is dangerous,” she stressed. Some migrants from Haiti fear for their safety because of the spread of such conspiracy theories.
Republican presidential candidate Trump had accused migrants of eating pets. “In Springfield, they eat the dogs – the people who came here – they eat the cats. They eat the pets of the people who live there,” Trump said in a TV debate against Democrat Kamala Harris in front of an audience of millions, without providing any evidence for the claim. Trump was referring to a statement by his running mate JD Vance, who had previously circulated the accusation that illegal immigrants from Haiti were stealing and eating pets in Springfield in his home state of Ohio.
According to US media, the authorities in Springfield are not aware of any such cases. The city hall was evacuated on Thursday because of a bomb threat. It was unclear whether the incident was related to the recent headlines about Springfield. Jean-Pierre said the background was being investigated.
Vance himself recently admitted on Platform X with regard to his statements: “It is of course possible that all these rumors turn out to be false.” However, this does not stop him from repeating the claims.
In response to Vance’s comments, numerous Republicans have been posting images generated using artificial intelligence on social networks for days, showing cats or geese – usually accompanied by calls for rescue. Trump has also posted similar posts on Truth Social in recent days, including a picture of kittens holding a sign that reads: “Don’t let them eat us. Vote for Trump!”
Trump repeatedly portrays immigrants as dangerous criminals. He also uses dehumanizing language and calls migrants “animals”, among other things. At an appearance in the state of Arizona, Trump said that the USA was dealing with an unprecedented invasion of migrants who were destroying the country. He once again addressed Springfield, claiming that the migrants there were making off with geese and pets.
