By Kailey Butler
Howard University News Service
During the Sept. 10 presidential debate, President Trump claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were eating cats and dogs.
In the almost two months since, the rumor has taken on a life of its own, with especially harsh consequences for not only the immigrant community but also for the entire city. Everything from bomb threats to evacuations to neo-Nazi attacks have plagued Springfield since the rumor was mentioned on the presidential stage.
It all began with a social media post from Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance. “People have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country,” Vance said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He mentioned illegal Haitian immigrants in the same post.
The thousands of Haitian immigrants who call Springfield home are legal residents. They have been granted Temporary Protected Status by the government because of political turmoil in their home country.
“They are there legally; they are there to work,” Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine said.
Former President Donald Trump repeated the rumor on stage at the presidential debate. What was once a small rumor garnered national attention and implications. Thus, the consequences for those living in Springfield became extreme.
In the week after former President Trump amplified rumors, more than 30 bomb threats were called into numerous schools and government buildings, forcing closures and evacuations. According to DeWine, the vast majority of threats came from overseas. The city’s schools instituted two daily security sweeps to ensure student safety. As a result, many parents kept their children at home.
“I have posted Ohio Highway Patrol troopers in each school building in Springfield so the schools can remain open, teachers and children can feel safe and students can continue to learn,” said Dewine.
These unfortunate events do not surprise Haitian Howard University student Britney Antoine.
“I’m not surprised about the rise in xenophobia. Anti-Haitian has been a theme in the West since the 1900s, and if you want to go even further back, since Haiti gained independence from France in 1804,” Antoine said.
While these rumors about Haitians eating pets may be new to many, they are part of the xenophobia that has plagued Haitians since the country’s founding. In fact, Thomas Jefferson has referred to them as “cannibals of the terrible republic.” All of this racism that had left the public eye is now resurfacing due to the former president’s remarks.
To add salt to the wound, this topic is now a trending joke on social media. It has become a trend on TikTok to show cats reacting to the sound of Donald Trump saying, “They’re eating the cats.”
“While I understand the intention to undermine rumors through humor, such jokes can reinforce negative stereotypes in the public’s mind,” Antoine said.
Now, instead of truly recognizing the harm that can come from these jokes, many are ignoring how offensive they are. This is dangerous because it’s how racism and xenophobia become normalized.
“This is a serious issue that deserves sensitivity,” Antoine said. “It’s all fun and games until the threats turn into actual people dying.”
Kailey Butler is a HU News Service reporter.
