More than half of voters who support former President Trump came away from last week’s debate believing that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating people’s pets — a false claim stoked by Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).
A post-debate YouGov poll, released this week, found that 22 percent of Trump-backers say they think the debunked lies that have spread about migrants abducting dogs and cats to eat are “definitely true,” while 30 percent said that they are “probably true.” Another 24 percent said they aren’t sure.
During his first, and likely only, debate against Vice President Harris, Trump amplified the conspiracy theory during a moment that rapidly spread online.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said. “They’re eating … they’re eating the pets of the people that live there!”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and other officials insist there is no evidence of immigrants abducting and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
The story spread through social media before gaining a national audience through the former president. More than 67 million people tuned in to the Trump-Harris showdown.
When ABC News anchor and debate moderator David Muir pushed back on Trump with a live fact check, the former president didn’t back down.
“The people on television say ‘My dog was taken and used for food,'” Trump replied. “We’ll see.”
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