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Springfield pet-eating hoax

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In September 2024, American right-wing politicians and media figures amplified false claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were illegally abducting pets such as cats and dogs and eating them.

Springfield became a popular destination for Haitian migrants in the 2020s, leading to racial tensions in the city. The claim about immigrants eating pets began when a member of a local Facebook group said a neighbor's daughter's friend's cat was eaten by immigrants. It spread quickly among far-right and neo-Nazi groups, and was then amplified by prominent figures in the American right, most notably Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and X owner Elon Musk.[1][2][3][4]

Springfield officials have stated there have been no credible reports of this and no evidence to support the claims.[5][6][7][8][9]

Background

Poor conditions in the Caribbean nation of Haiti led the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to grant temporary protection status designation to Haitians, allowing an estimated 309,000 migrants from the island nation to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.[10] Attracted by a surplus of manufacturing jobs, a low cost of living, and a lack of local labor, some 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian migrants came to Springfield,[11] which had a population of 58,662 at the time of the 2020 census.[12] While the migrants have had a positive economic impact on the city, the rapid population expansion has strained public resources.[13]

In August 2023, a Haitian immigrant drove his minivan into a school bus, killing 11-year-old Aiden Clark.[14] The driver was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide and sentenced to nine to 13-and-a-half years in prison.[15] The incident inflamed racial tensions in the area and increased hostility towards the Haitian community.[13][16][17] In August 2024, the Springfield Jazz & Blues Fest was interrupted by neo-Nazis with assault rifles who performed Nazi salutes and held swastika flags. Local police called it "a little peaceful protest".[18][19] Later that month, a member of the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe disrupted a Springfield city meeting, introducing himself with an anti-black slur and threating that "crime and savagery will only increase with every Haitian you bring in."[20][21]

Hoax and spread

From left to right: Donald Trump and JD Vance, prominent proponents of the hoax.

The rumor is based on a Facebook post about a user's neighbor's daughter's friend, who the user said "lost her cat" and then saw it "hanging from a branch, like you'd do a deer for butchering" at a neighbor's house, insisting "they were carving it up to eat." The post further asserted that the same was being done to dogs, ducks, and geese. The rumor became viral among American far-right and neo-Nazi groups and popular right-wing X accounts, which presented the claim as fact, pinning the blame on Haitian Americans and the Biden-Harris administration.[22][23][17]

Both Springfield's city manager Bryan Heck and the Springfield police have responded that "there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community".[5][6][7][8][9] Springfield's mayor Rob Rue said that there was no evidence to support claims that geese or ducks from parks were being killed and eaten.[22] Fact-checker Snopes rated the rumors as "Unfounded."[22] Vox and Forbes among others have described the rumor as false and as a conspiracy theory.[23][24]

Other recent events were incorrectly linked to the hoax, but contributed to its spread. In the first, a user posted a photo to Reddit of a man carrying a dead goose by the neck, prompting a discussion about cooking geese and Ohio's hunting season. The man was not identified as Haitian, the goose's cause of death is unknown, and it took place in Columbus, Ohio rather than Springfield.[25][26] In the other incident, a 27-year-old woman was arrested in August 2024 in Canton, Ohio on charges that she killed and ate a cat. She was US-born, not an immigrant.[27][28] Neither had any connection to Haiti or Springfield.[29][30][31] In a third case, police received a report that Haitians stole geese. According to police, they found no evidence and no geese.[32]

Amplification by Republican politicians

On September 9, JD Vance, U.S. Senator from Ohio and the 2024 Republican nominee for vice president, spread the claim as a political attack against Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president, writing "Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio. Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country. Where is our border czar?," receiving over 101,000 likes as of September 10.[1] Vance later acknowledged the rumor could be false when he stated: "In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who've said their neighbors' pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false." He also stated, to continue posting "cat memes."[2]

U.S. Senator from Texas Ted Cruz posted a widely criticized meme relating to the incident picturing two cats stating "Please vote for Trump, so Haitian immigrants don't eat us", receiving over 113,000 likes as of September 10.[33]

The Arizona Republican Party put out twelve roadside billboards in the Phoenix metro area stating "Eat less kittens, Vote Republican!", spoofing Chick-Fil-A's "Eat Mor Chikin" advertising campaign.[34]

During the Harris–Trump presidential debate, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump falsely claimed that "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there".[35] Moderator David Muir fact-checked Trump, stating that ABC News reached out to town manager Rob Rue who confirmed that no such incidents had occurred.[36]

Reactions

The hoax been widely characterized as a racist attempt to stoke fears or resentment of immigrants.[17][37][38][23][39]

The photographer who posted a photo of a man with a dead goose to Reddit told The Columbus Dispatch he regretted taking the picture of the pedestrian, stating "I wish I never took it, for sure. And I hate that the picture that I took is being weaponized to use against immigrants, or really, any other group. They always have to have somebody to use as a weapon. Some group to be the bad guy."[26]

When JD Vance and other far-right social media users used the death of Aiden Clark to perpetuate the hoax, falsely claiming it was a racially-motivated murder by an illegal immigrant, Aiden's father Nathan Clark accused Trump of exploiting his son's accidental death for political gain by furthering a false narrative among his followers about violent savage Haitians.[40][41][42]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Mangan, Dan (September 10, 2024). "JD Vance false conspiracy about Haitian immigrants is 'dangerous,' Biden NSC spokesman says". CNBC. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Maher, Kit (September 10, 2024). "Vance says false claim he spread against Haitian migrants may not be true but urges followers to keep posting 'cat memes'". CNN. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  3. ^ "Trump falsely claims migrants in Ohio are eating pets during debate". FOX TV Digital Team. September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  4. ^ "Trump falsely accuses immigrants in Ohio of abducting and eating pets". AP News. September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Bernal, Rafael (September 9, 2024). "Vance pushes false accusations of Haitians eating pets". The Hill. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Ingram, David (September 10, 2024). "Ohio police have 'no credible reports' of Haitian immigrants harming pets, contradicting JD Vance's claim". NBC News. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Chatelain, Ryan (September 10, 2024). "Police in Ohio push back on claim, promoted by Trump campaign, that Haitian migrants are eating pets". Spectrum News. Springfield.
  8. ^ a b Orozco, Jessica (September 9, 2024). "Springfield police say no reports of pets stolen, eaten". Springfield News-Sun.
  9. ^ a b Sanderson, Emily (September 10, 2024). "Springfield officials say there's no credible reports of pet abuse in immigrant community". WLWT5.
  10. ^ Bernal, Rafael (September 9, 2024). "Vance pushes false accusations of Haitians eating pets". The Hill. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Kasprak, Alex. "No Evidence Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Ducks, Geese or Pets in Springfield, Ohio". Snopes. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Feuerborn, Mark (September 10, 2024). "What we know about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio". NBC 4i. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Jordan, Miriam (September 3, 2024). "How an Ohio Town Landed in the Middle of the Immigration Debate". New York Times.
  14. ^ Da Silva, Chantal (August 23, 2023). "Child killed in Ohio bus crash on first day of school; driver of other vehicle charged with homicide". NBC News. Retrieved September 11, 2024. One of the 23 injured children suffered life-threatening injuries Tuesday morning. Their conditions were not immediately clear early Wednesday.
  15. ^ Underwood, Alese (May 21, 2024). "Man sentenced to at least 9 years in prison for Clark County bus crash". Spectrum News. Dayton, Ohio. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  16. ^ Olmstead, Molly (September 10, 2024). "Yes, They're Really Claiming Immigrants Eat Cats and Geese Now. You Can Guess Why". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Jingnan, Huo; Garsd, Jasmine (September 10, 2024). "JD Vance spreads debunked claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets". All Things Considered.
  18. ^ "Neo-Nazis holding rifles and swastika flags march during Ohio musical festival". Jewish News Syndicate. August 13, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024. 'There was an attempt to disrupt our community by an outside hate group,' said Rob Rue, the mayor of Springfield.
  19. ^ Schwartzberg, Eric; Spurlock, Brooke (August 13, 2024). "Mayor: Group's use of swastika flags, guns 'not peaceful' but city was watching". Springfield News-Sun. Retrieved September 11, 2024. Springfield Police representative described it as 'just a little peaceful protest;' city government called Nazi-attired group's actions 'deeply concerning'
  20. ^ Crosse, Jacobe. "Trump and Republicans spearhead fascistic campaign targeting Haitian immigrants". World Socalist Web Site. Retrieved September 11, 2024. On August 27, one of the Nazi members of Blood Tribe, Drake Berentz, a former Marine, returned to the Springfield to deliver an anti-immigrant tirade in which he warned that 'Crime and savagery will only increase with every Haitian you bring in.'
  21. ^ Huggins, Katherine (September 11, 2024). "How a neo-Nazi helped kickstart the right-wing anti-Haitian migrant panic". Daily Dot. Retrieved September 11, 2024. Rhetoric 'ripped from the Nazi playbook.'
  22. ^ a b c Kasprak, Alex. "No Evidence Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Ducks, Geese or Pets in Springfield, Ohio". Snopes. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Millhiser, Ian (September 9, 2024). "JD Vance's racist, cat-eating conspiracy theory, explained as best we can". Vox. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  24. ^ Murray, Conor (September 10, 2024). "Biden Official Condemns False Haitian Immigrants Conspiracy Theory As 'Racism' And 'Disinformation'". Forbes. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  25. ^ Downing, Andy (September 10, 2024). "What it's like to have your photo hijacked by a right-wing disinformation campaign". Matter News. Retrieved September 11, 2024. In July, a Columbus resident took a picture of a man carrying a goose carcass on the city's North Side. In recent days, the image has been used to falsely advance a racist right-wing campaign aimed at Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio.
  26. ^ a b Hart, Nathan (September 10, 2024). "Columbus man regrets taking goose photo he says is being weaponized against immigrants". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  27. ^ Molnar, Nancy (September 10, 2024). "Fact check: Ohio woman accused of eating cat is from Canton, not from Springfield". The Canton Repository. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  28. ^ FP Explainers (September 11, 2024). "'Haitian immigrants eating pets': Who is Ohio woman, who killed cat and led to conspiracy theories?". First Post. Retrieved September 11, 2024. Donald Trump on Tuesday attacked Kamala Harris over immigration by claiming that Haitians are eating pets in an Ohio town. The remarks came after a month after 27-year-old Allexis Telia Ferrell from the state allegedly killed and ate a cat in Canton. Since then, some right-wing social media accounts have baselessly claimed that Ferrell has links to Haiti
  29. ^ Kasprak, Alex (September 9, 2024). "No Evidence Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Ducks, Geese or Pets in Springfield, Ohio". Snopes. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  30. ^ Hart, Nathan (September 10, 2024). "Columbus man regrets taking goose photo he says is being weaponized against immigrants". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  31. ^ Molnar, Nancy (September 10, 2024). "Fact check: Ohio woman accused of eating cat is from Canton, not from Springfield". The Canton Repository. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  32. ^ Orozco, Jessica (September 11, 2024). "County: No evidence of August claim that Haitians took geese at Springfield park". Springfield News-Sun.
  33. ^ Rashid, Hafiz (September 9, 2024). "Ted Cruz Gets Brutal Reminder After Sharing Racist Migrants Conspiracy". The New Republic. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  34. ^ Liles, Jordan. "Arizona GOP Launches 'Eat Less Kittens' Billboards Referencing Unfounded Conspiracy Theory". Snopes. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  35. ^ Picciotto, Rebecca (September 10, 2024). "Presidential debate live updates: Trump goes off script with false conspiracy, claims 'They're eating the dogs'". CNBC. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  36. ^ Ferris, Layla (September 11, 2024). "Trump, JD Vance repeat baseless claim Haitian immigrants are eating pets as Ohio officials say there is no evidence - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  37. ^ Robinson, Amelia. "No 'roasted Fluffy.' Haitians aren't eating cats in Springfield. Vance is a liar". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  38. ^ Leingang, Rachel (September 9, 2024). "Republicans spread baseless slurs about 'cat-eating migrants' in Ohio city". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  39. ^ Olmstead, Molly (September 10, 2024). "Yes, They're Really Claiming Immigrants Eat Cats and Geese Now. You Can Guess Why". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  40. ^ Jordan, Miriam (September 11, 2024). "Grieving Ohio Father Tells Trump and Vance to Stop Talking About His Son". The New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2024. Nathan Clark says the candidates are exploiting his son's death in a crash caused by an immigrant outside the small city of Springfield. 'This needs to stop now.'
  41. ^ Orozco, Jessica (September 10, 2024). "Aiden Clark's dad begs Springfield, politicians: Stop using son to hate Haitians". Springfield News-Sun. Retrieved September 11, 2024. Boy was killed in 2023 school bus crash caused by Haitian immigrant; father says 'we can't even protect his memory when he's gone'
  42. ^ Ingram, David (September 10, 2024). "Father of 11-year-old killed in Ohio crash says Trump and Vance are using his son 'as a political tool' and asks for apologies". NBC News. Retrieved September 11, 2024. Vance, the GOP vice presidential nominee, alluded to Aiden Clark, an 11-year-old boy who died when his school bus collided with a minivan driven by a Haitian immigrant.
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