Trump administration and JD Vance propagate misleading allegations regarding Haitian migrants' alleged consumption of animals as food.
The most recent stage in a crusade tending toward racially charged messages involves attacking Vice President Kamala Harris' racial lineage and intimidating her immigration policies.
The focus is on Springfield, Ohio, which has experienced substantial immigration from Haiti in recent times, aiming to escape their Caribbean nation confronted with chronic natural disasters, political assassinations, and gang dominance.
A post within a Springfield Facebook group asserts that a neighbor's daughter's friend discovered their vanished pet cat hanging from a tree at a Haitian neighbor's property, supposedly to be prepared for consumption, claims the Springfield News-Sun. This rumor was propagated further by conservative media and subsequently disseminated on X, gaining extensive popularity on Monday.
"Trump will deport migrants who consume pets," the Trump campaign account announced on X. "Kamala Harris will deliver them to your town next. Choose wisely, America."
Texas Senator Ted Cruz introduced a meme showing two kittens cuddling. Inscription laid atop the image reads: "Vote for Trump to keep Haitian immigrants from devouring us."
Vance distributed a video discussing the migration to Ohio during a recent hearing. "Reports have emerged that people's pets have been abducted and consumed by illegals," he stated. "Where is our border manager?" Some platforms disseminated AI-generated images that depicted Trump holding a cat while being pursued by a mob of Black men.
Unverified allegations culminate in a chaotic game of convey-the-message, sprouting from a local Facebook group and spreading to high-ranking conservative media and the Republican Party. They gained traction on X, which owner Elon Musk approved of and shared memes to promote false claims.
Certain accounts shared body-worn camera footage as reinforcement for their claims; however, that footage originated in Canton, Ohio, more than 170 miles away from Springfield.
In a statement to CNN, Springfield City authorities confirmed "no substantial evidence or specific allegations of pets being harmed, mistreated, or abused by inhabitants within the foreigner community."
Springfield city officials estimated that around 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants reside in the county housing the city. Haitian immigrants possess temporary permits under the Immigration Parole Program while awaiting temporary protected status, as declared by the city authorities.
In response to inquiries on Monday, a Vance spokesperson said he had received a significant amount of concern-based messages from Springfield citizens and stated that Vance's tweet mirrors their worries.
"Residents have reached out to Senator Vance to air their concerns over crime and traffic accidents, as well as feeling unsafe in their own homes," the spokesperson explained. "Unlike liberal media, JD attends to his constituents' concerns sincerely."
Spokespeople for Cruz did not promptly respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Trump consistently challenged Harris' racial background, falsely asserting she had only recently identified as Black. Harris has long cultivated her Black identity, attending historically Black colleges and joining historically Black sororities. Harris has, for the most part, refrained from engaging with Trump's rhetoric about her race.
Haitians hold significant political power in Florida - a state that initially leaned politically neutral before shifting to consistent red, yet the Biden and Harris campaigns believe it may once again be up for grabs.
CNN's Aaron Pellish and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
In light of these racially charged discussions, some political figures have used Harris' immigration policies as a point of attack. (Follows from the original text)
These incidents highlight the potential impact of politics on community relations, especially when racially sensitive topics are involved. (Expands upon the existing context)
