The origins of Trump’s Claim That Immigrants are Eating Pets

“In Springfield, they are eating the dogs," Trump said, repeating an internet conspiracy involving Haitian immigrants that has been debunked by news organizations this week.

“They’re eating the cats," Trump said onstage during the ABC debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Local police have said there is no evidence to substantiate those claims.

The claim is the latest in a series of exaggerations or moments that when challenged with facts, Trump or his top lieutenants refuse to abandon. The pet rumors started with a Facebook post, citing the poster’s “neighbor’s daughter’s friend," according to local police.

The original poster didn’t cite firsthand knowledge of an incident, Springfield Police said in a statement Monday. The post claimed that a pet cat had been found hanging from a branch at a Haitian neighbor’s home after being carved up to be eaten.

Harris shook her head and laughed as Trump continued to promote the rumor, which was also repeated this week by his vice presidential running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, and amplified by conservative media.

Debate moderator David Muir told Trump that the network had checked with Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck, who said there are no reports of pets being harmed by immigrants.

When again told it wasn’t true, Trump said: “But the people on television say their dog was eaten by the people that went there."

There is evidence that an influx of migrants to the small city of about 59,000 people has put a strain on Springfield’s resources. About 15,000 Haitians have arrived in the city since 2020, many using a program that gives them temporary protected status.

Trump made several inaccurate claims about immigrants during the debate, including the suggestion that the equivalent of the population of the state of New York (20 million people) have entered the country since President Biden took office.

The Wall Street Journal’s recent analysis has found that about 10 million immigrants have come to the U.S. in the past four years, though a large chunk of those are people who entered on Green Cards or other visas.

For some Republicans, Trump’s debate performance was a sign the campaign is losing focus. “It’s gimmicky and there isn’t any teeth to it," said one House GOP lawmaker, adding that Republicans have spent time attacking Harris for “not defining her policy, so this is not helpful."

Conservative commentators were angered by Trump’s falsehoods, seemingly frustrated the former president had been misled by rumors on social media.

“You stupid mf’ers just got Trump to repeat your lie about the pets," Erick Erickson, a conservative talk radio host based in Atlanta, wrote on X shortly after the debate. “Congrats on setting the news stories tomorrow by lying so Trump picks it up" and says stupid things.

Republicans complained that the moderators weren’t fair to Trump during the debate. “The moderators might as well be on the DNC payroll. This is ridiculous," said South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.“This is the worst moderated debate in history," Darrell Issa, a California Republican representative, said.

Trump’s comments quickly flooded social media, with users reposting memes and AI-generated images of Trump cuddling up to various animals. In one AI caricature, he is seen saving a large ginger cat from a burning building. Trump reposted one of the fake images to his Truth Social account late Tuesday, depicting him on a private jet surrounded by cats and ducks.

“These two are so online they have lost touch with what the vast majority of us are talking about," said Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, a Democrat in a competitive House seat where Vance lives. “The idea that Vance perpetuated this ridiculous and racist conspiracy theory that Haitians who are here because they might have been killed with the unrest in Haiti are going around and taking people’s cats and eating them is so insane."