The GOP’s VP candidate JD Vance was accused of spreading unconfirmed lies about Haitian immigrants eating pet cats and ducks at Ohio’s Springfield. It was called a right wing propaganda to slam the Biden-Harris administration as the local police said they received no reports of pets being stolen. JD Vance, however, appeared undeterred by the fact-checkers and said people should not be dissuaded by the ‘crybabies in the media’.His office received many inquiries from Springfield residents who said their neighbors’ pets were stolen by Haitian migrants.
“It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false,” JD Vance said.
“Do you know what’s confirmed? That a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here. That local health services have been overwhelmed. That communicable diseases–like TB and HIV–have been on the rise. That local schools have struggled to keep up with newcomers who don’t know English. That rents have risen so fast that many Springfield families can’t afford to put a roof over their head,” the Ohio senator said.
“If you’re a reporter, or an activist, who didn’t give a shit about these suffering Americans until yesterday, I have some advice: Spare your outrage for your fellow citizens suffering under Kamala Harris’s policies. Be outraged at yourself for letting this happen,” Vance added.
“In short, don’t let the crybabies in the media dissuade you, fellow patriots. Keep the cat memes flowing.”
What is the row over Haitian migrants?
Republicans claimed that migrants from Haiti who have settled in Ohio’s Springfield were stealing and eating the pets of the residents including ducks and cats. Springfield Police said they were aware of the social media posts making such claims but this was not an issue on their radar as there were no credible reports of pets being stolen.
Republicans made this row a ‘Cats for Trump’ campaign and claimed that rumors or not, the fact is Springfield saw a huge reflux of migrants. In a meeting of the Springfield City Commission, residents claimed they have seen Haitians grabbing ducks by neck. A 27-year-old woman, Allexis Telia Ferrell, was charged for stomping on a cat and then eating it, but it was not known whether she is a Haitian.