This debate will be remembered by Trump lying about people eating pets, while Harris put him on a leash like he was a little puppy…take him to Springfield! #Debate2024
— Boss (@dj_bossman) September 11, 2024
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris debated the issues last night. As expected, immigration came up on many occasions during the debate (with Trump mentioning the border and immigration enforcement). Besides blaming the Biden/Harris administration for the border situation, Trump invoked a charge that ImmigrationProf blogged about yesterday. As reported by the BBC,
“In the hours before the debate, social media was filled with reports of unsubstantiated claims – repeated by JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, had been stealing pets and eating them.
Despite city officials telling the BBC there are no credible reports to support these claims, Trump brought up the matter in the debate.
`They’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. This is a shame,’ he said.”
The Springfield, Ohio City Manager issued a statement this week dismissing rumors about Haitians harming pets and ducks.
Read more on the BBC fact-check on the Springfield claims here.
KJ