During the Sept. 10 debate against Kamala Harris, Donald Trump stunned viewers with the baseless claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were “eating the dogs and cats” of local residents, referring to a viral post on Facebook launched in the area.
“In Springfield, it's dog eat dog,” Trump said. “The people who got in are eating the cats. They eat the pets of the people who live there. And this is happening in our country and it's a shame.”
Debate moderator David Muir immediately shot down the claim, saying the city manager of Springfield, Ohio, said there were “no credible reports of specific allegations of pets being harmed, injured or abused by people in the immigrant community.”
Trump responded: “People on TV are saying my dog was taken and used as food.” Muir reiterated, “Again the Springfield city manager says there's no evidence of that.”
Understandably, the wild claim quickly became the most talked about moment of the night.
Flavor Flav wasted no time jumping into the conversation, laughing at X: “Pet Shop Boys better stay inside and lock the doors. You too, Snoop Dogg. And Pitbull.”
Other celebrities reacted with disbelief. Bette Midler addressed the claim directly, tweeting, “Now he's spreading this cat-eating lie,” while noting that debate moderator David Muir had debunked Trump's statement.
Trump's running mate JD Vance, who shared the viral post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on September 9, later doubled down on the spin room pet story after the debate.
“We just heard a 911 call from a citizen in Springfield earlier today that some of the migrants were capturing geese at the local lake, butchering them and killing them,” Vance told reporters. When pressed on the claim that the emigrants were eating domestic animals, he replied: “I do not know what the multitude of animals are that are eaten there, but I know that geese are certainly among them.”
In a statement, Springfield police further clarified: “There are no credible reports or specific allegations of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”
Reuters also verified the claim, confirming that there was no evidence to support widespread incidents of theft or damage to pets by Haitian immigrants.
The bizarre pet-eating claim has taken social media by storm, with many left shocked at the absurdity of the situation. Check out some of the best reactions below.
