Former President Donald Trump made damaging claims about Haitian immigrants during the presidential debate on Sept. 10. These false accusations resulted in a slew of harassment targeted at Haitian communities all over the country.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in. They’re eating the cats … They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame,” Trump said on ABC News.
As a direct result of these bogus statements, Haitians are currently facing an influx of assaults, threats and bullying.
“I come here to find some peace and I fled my country because of that, and right now the same thing is happening,” Haitian immigrant, Vilbrun Dorsainvil, told CNN.
The Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio is braving the brunt of this storm. Several schools and government offices have faced closure as a result of numerous bomb threats. Additionally, the town was forced to cancel its annual cultural diversity celebration, Culture Fest, due to the alleged violence.
“We did not have threats seven days ago. We did not have these concerns seven days ago. We did not have these hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in Springfield and from the state of Ohio in support seven days ago. We do today,” said Springfield Mayor Rob Rue.
When asked about the bomb threats, Trump fueled the fire by responding, “I don’t know what happened with the bomb threats. I know that it’s been taken over by illegal migrants.”
Regardless of the consequences, Trump continues to spread hateful narratives. On Sept. 13, he claimed that Haitians are “destroying” America.
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, followed in the former president’s footsteps by posting to X, reinforcing the false claims.
“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” Vance said. “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?” However, there is no recorded police evidence of any instance of the sort.
When confronted about the validity of his statements, Vance admitted to reporter Dana Bash that he is willing to “create stories.”
“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,” Vance said in the CNN interview.
The risk of these baseless claims far out-weigh any sort of benefit Trump and Vance can conjure up to defend their actions.
The livelihood of Haitians communities is being threatened. One Haitian woman reported that her cars have been vandalized twice in her own driveway. She woke up to find one car with broken windows and the other covered in acid.
“I can’t even leave my house to go to Walmart. I’m anxious and scared,” The woman said to the Haitian Times.
There is a newfound fear consuming Haitian migrants, particularly those of Springfield, Ohio. ABC News reports that at one elementary school, about 200 out of the 500 students were absent after schools were forced to evacuate the previous day.
A politician’s voice has the power to make or break a nation. If Trump’s carelessness is causing such chaos during his campaign, who is to say what he is capable of if elected as the next president of the United States?
