The Origin and Escalation of Trump’s Claims about Immigrants Eating Pets Online | US News

Fifty-five miles from Springfield, Ohio, a man was seen walking down the road carrying a goose.

Elsewhere, 170 miles from Springfield, a resident of another Ohio town was arrested for allegedly killing and consuming a cat.

Meanwhile, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, which is 514 miles away from Springfield, Donald Trump made a statement claiming Haitian migrants were “eating the pets” of the residents of the Ohio town.

Sky News has investigated the spread of an unverified rumor online, involving unrelated incidents and distorted truths that were disseminated and amplified on social media.

A community meeting

The first mention of claims regarding Haitian migrants eating animals was reportedly made during a community meeting on August 27.

Local Springfield resident Anthony Harris, who identified himself as a social media influencer, alleged that immigrants were capturing ducks in the park, decapitating them, and carrying them away to consume.

However, he did not provide any evidence to support his claim.

A private Facebook post goes viral

A post on a local Facebook crime-watch group echoed similar claims.

The poster relayed a story she heard about a cat being hung from a tree and slaughtered for food outside a residence where Haitian individuals lived.

Yet again, no evidence was provided for either the death of the animal or the nationality of the individuals supposedly involved.

Nevertheless, the post was screen-captured and spread widely on social media, with figures like Elon Musk, Ted Cruz, Charlie Kirk, and Jack Posobiec picking up on the rumor.

Musk shared several posts related to the claims, including an AI image displaying a kitten and a duckling with the caption “Save them!”.

Data from the social media monitoring tool Talkwalker reveals that posts containing mentions of pets and Haitians started gaining traction on September 6, likely when the Facebook post was initially shared.

The volume of mentions peaked on September 9, coinciding with Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance discussing reports of pets being “kidnapped and consumed by individuals who should not be in this country.”

He reiterated these claims the following day, citing “actual residents of Springfield” reaching out to him regarding their pets or local wildlife being taken by Haitian migrants.

These claims were reiterated that day as Mr. Trump repeated them during the presidential debate on Tuesday evening.

Over the past week, there have been over 810,000 posts on social media platforms mentioning both pets and Haitians, with almost six million engagements.

Additionally, posts referencing pets and Springfield have generated an additional 500,000 posts with more than four million engagements.

Months-old Reddit post used to fuel rumors

One of the most impactful posts came from the X account End Wokeness, which shared a screenshot of the Facebook group post alongside an image of a man carrying a goose.

The post alleged that 20,000 immigrants had arrived in the city under the Biden administration, and as a result, “ducks and pets are vanishing.”

This post was shared 20,000 times and garnered almost five million views.

However, it was discovered that the photo was not taken in Springfield. Sky News located the photo to Cleveland Avenue in the state capital of Columbus, which is 55 miles away.

The image was originally shared on Reddit two months ago. The person who captured the photo informed ABC News that he was surprised to see his image utilized to propagate false narratives.

The image has since been employed by media outlets to bolster claims of animals being abducted and consumed.

Bodycam footage shows woman arrested over animals – but she’s not Haitian

Some social media posts utilize bodycam footage of a woman’s arrest for allegedly killing and consuming a cat to corroborate the online narratives.

However, this incident occurred 170 miles away in Canton, Ohio.

Canton police spokesperson Dennis Garren clarified that the suspect in the case is not a Haitian migrant but a lifelong Canton resident.

The distressing video captures Allexis Telia Ferrell, who supposedly killed and consumed a cat, being apprehended on August 16.

Information from Stark County Commons Pleas Court records for Ferrell indicate she was charged with cruelty to companion animals.

Narratives ‘skewed by misinformation’

During the debate, Mr. Trump’s claims were met with immediate pushback by moderator David Muir, who mentioned that Springfield city manager Bryan Heck had refuted the claims.

Mr. Heck addressed the issue in a press conference, stating that “narratives around our city have been distorted by false information circulating on social media and exacerbated by political rhetoric.”

The Springfield Police Division also stated that they had not received any reports related to pets being taken or consumed.

In a statement sent to Sky News’ US partner NBC News, the police clarified, “In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine also weighed in, dismissing the claims as baseless rumors.

Read more from Sky News:
Trump’s pet-eating debate moment the talk of the town
How body language spoke as loudly as words in presidential debate

How an 11-year-old’s death became part of the story

While most of these events unfolded in the past week, it’s essential to look back to August 2023 when 11-year-old Aiden Clark tragically lost his life in a collision involving a school bus and a minivan operated by an unlicensed Haitian man.

Approximately 15,000 Haitians have migrated to Springfield in recent years, constituting 15% of the city’s population. However, this demographic shift has not been without tensions, and Aiden’s tragic death served as a pivotal moment.

Both Mr. Vance and the Trump campaign seized upon this incident this week.

On Monday, an account affiliated with the Trump campaign referenced Aiden on X.

The next day, Mr. Vance reiterated the claims about pets being consumed by Haitian migrants, suggesting that it was “possible” that the rumors “may turn out to be false.”

He did note, however, that what was “confirmed” was that “a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here.”

In response to this, Aiden’s father, Nathan Clark, addressed the Springfield city commission meeting on Tuesday, clarifying that his son was “not murdered” but “was accidentally killed.”

He expressed his frustration with politicians using his son’s death for political purposes, emphasizing that such actions need to cease immediately.

He stated, “They can spew all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even false claims about pets being attacked and consumed by community members. However, they are not allowed, and have never been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”

What Donald Trump and JD Vance have said

Following the debate, Mr. Vance defended Mr. Trump by stating that “No one has spread false claims.”

As a senator for Ohio, Mr. Vance added that the Haitian community had caused various issues in the region.

“It has resulted in animals disappearing,” he claimed. “Many of my constituents have reported these incidents.

“While the city manager says there is no verifiable evidence, many residents on the ground insist there is. This implies that the city manager, in my opinion, is out of touch with the situation on the ground there.”