Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (Ohio) has been spreading a discredited claim about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, alleging they are abducting and eating pets. This claim has been debunked by local authorities, including the Springfield Police Division and City Manager Bryan Heck. Vance made these allegations in a social media post, referencing a discredited social media post. He also shared a video of himself reading a letter from Springfield city manager Bryan Heck at a July Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing. The letter discussed the city’s challenges in providing housing for a growing Haitian immigrant population.
However, both the Springfield Police Division and Heck have denied any incidents of pets being stolen or eaten. Heck stated that these false allegations are distracting from the real issues faced by Springfield, such as housing shortages and an overwhelmed healthcare system.
The false claims were also shared by national figures including Charlie Kirk and Elon Musk over the weekend. The accusations have been widely circulated on right-wing social media, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and the House Judiciary Committee Republicans X account also posting related content. Musk shared a video of Harris saying that the Biden administration gave Temporary Protected Status to Haitians. She said initially 55,000 migrants were given this status and it was extended to over 100,000 later because they needed support and protection. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO said on X, “Vote for Kamala if you want this to happen to your neighborhood!” Musk’s comments were in response to a post claiming that 20,000 non-citizen Haitians had destroyed a town in Ohio and had ‘reportedly’ killed and eaten people’s pets. Springfield police were cited as saying there are 12,000 to 15,000 people from Haiti living in the city.
This isn’t the first time that JD Vance has made controversial claims. In August, Vance made a claim about fentanyl-laced marijuana and accused Harris of allowing cartels to sex traffic minors. Meanwhile, Musk, who recently voiced his support for Trump, has also shared these false claims. Musk voiced support for Trump recently. Later this month, Trump announced plans to appoint Musk to a government efficiency commission if elected.
The spread of this misinformation about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, is concerning. It reflects a pattern of targeting immigrant communities with inflammatory rhetoric and false claims. It is important to rely on credible sources and to challenge such misinformation when encountered.
