Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended spreading lies that Haitian immigrants are eating peoples’ pets in Springfield, Ohio, saying he was simply repeating “what was reported,” despite local officials repeatedly debunking the baseless claims.
During a town hall hosted by the Spanish-language network Univision with undecided Latino voters, Trump was asked if he really believed the conspiracy theory.
“This was just reported, I was just saying what was reported,” Trump said. “That’s been reported, and [they are] eating other things, too, that they’re not supposed to be.”
“All I do is report,” he added.
Trump also spoke about his plans to travel to the Ohio city, claiming he would provide an update on the issue after seeing the extent of the purported problem with his own eyes.
“I was there, I’m going to be there, and we’re going to take a look, and I’ll give you a full report when I do,” Trump said. “But that’s been in the newspapers and reported pretty broadly.”
The lies about Haitians stealing and eating pets first originated on social media last month and were then amplified by Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance (R).
Local officials, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), have repeatedly pushed back against the conspiracy theory, noting that there was no credible evidence to suggest immigrants were engaging in such behavior. Several news organizations have also fact-checked the claims.
That hasn’t stopped Trump from using his platform to spread the falsehood. He even shared the claims during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris last month, prompting a fact check by ABC’s David Muir, one of the event’s moderators.
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“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump said. “The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame.”
The lies had a real impact on Springfield. Schools and government buildings became the target of bomb threats, with DeWine sending state patrol troopers to be stationed across all of the city’s schools in response to the threats.
A recent poll by The Washington Post showed that while a majority of Ohio voters don’t believe Trump’s racist claims, he is still leading Harris by six percentage points in the state.
Trump has also pledged to revoke the legal status of Haitian immigrants living in Springfield and deport them from the country if he secures reelection in next month’s presidential race.