Photo Credit: The Star

On September 10, the US had their second presidential debate of 2024, a face-off between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. During the debate, former president Trump made the statement, “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in. They are eating the cats. They are eating the pets of the people that live there.” Trump is referring to
a rumour that has been circulating around X, formerly Twitter, that Haitian immigrants slaughtered local animals and ate them. Many pro-Trump accounts, including Vice- residential candidate JD Vance, promoted this idea.

Haitians nationwide began facing hate and violence after this, centred in Springfield, Ohio. Since the debate, more than 30 bomb threats have been sent to government buildings, city officials, and even schools. Haitians have faced verbal and physical harassment, and some now fear attacks or retribution. The New Yorker did an interview with Viles Dorsainvil, a
Haitian leader in Springfield, who runs the Haitian community support and help centre there. “I’ve been experiencing the worst of America, in terms of how a leader, through his speech, can denigrate or marginalize or divide a community and create harm to a vulnerable group of people by firing up his base for his own political ends,” says Dorsainvil. Dorsainvil also reported that homes of Haitian peoples have been vandalized and have had windows broken. He also reported that Haitians no longer feel safe in Springfield, and that some have left the town.

Due to this hate, CNN asked Vance (who, according to Trump,
brought the rumour to his attention), “Can you affirmatively say now that that is a rumour that has no basis with evidence?” Vance deflected, accusing the media of not paying attention to the issue until the memes came out. Reporter Dana Bash then responded
with the fact that it wasn’t just a meme and was a serious accusation. Vance then countered, “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do,” suggesting that there in fact was no real evidence to the claims made in the debate and that the rumours were overblown. According to Bash, Ohio’s department of natural resources reviewed over 11 months’ worth of 911 calls, and they only found 2 that suggested Haitian immigrants were killing and taking geese out of parks, but the police found no evidence to those claims. In the end, it is important that Americans and people around the world recognize that not everything you see on TV or social media is real, and, although many deny it, racism is still a very real and serious issue.