Donald Trump reiterated false claims about immigrants eating people's pets during Tuesday's presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, promoting an internet conspiracy theory that has been thoroughly debunked, according to the Wall Street Journal.
"In Springfield, they are eating the dogs," Trump said on stage during the ABC debate in Philadelphia. "They're eating the cats," he continued, referring to Haitian immigrants in Ohio.
𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣: "In Springfield, they are eating the dogs." pic.twitter.com/6ARkgRzgs9
— Polkadot Leader (@PolkadotLeader) September 11, 2024
However, local police and city officials have stated there is no evidence to support these allegations. Springfield Police issued a statement on Monday saying the rumor originated from a Facebook post citing secondhand information from a "neighbor's daughter's friend" about a pet cat allegedly being eaten. The original poster did not claim firsthand knowledge of any such incident.
Vice President Harris appeared bemused by Trump's comments, shaking her head and laughing as he repeated the unsubstantiated claims. The conspiracy theory has also been promoted this week by Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, and spread on social media by conservative figures and billionaire Elon Musk.
Debate moderator David Muir attempted to fact-check Trump's statements in real-time, noting that ABC had confirmed with Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck that there were no reports of immigrants harming pets. To which Trump responded, "But the people on television say their dog was eaten by the people that went there."
Several prominent Republicans voiced discontent with the debate moderation, suggesting it was unfairly skewed against Trump. South Carolina Sen Lindsey Graham expressed his frustration, stating, "The moderators might as well be on the DNC payroll. This is ridiculous." California Republican Representative Darrell Issa went further, declaring, "This is the worst moderated debate in history."
Donald Trump Truth Social 05:34 PM EST 09/10/24 @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/cF9umhqOHo
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 10, 2024
Meanwhile, Trump's comments about immigrants and pets quickly gained traction on social media platforms. Users began sharing memes and AI-generated images depicting Trump in various animal-friendly scenarios. One artificially created image showed the former president rescuing a large ginger cat from a burning building. Trump himself participated in the online discourse by reposting one of these manipulated images to his Truth Social account. The image in question depicted Trump on a private jet, surrounded by cats and ducks.
