A new poll reveals that more than half of Donald Trump’s supporters believe an unproven claim that Haitian immigrants are stealing and consuming pets in Springfield, Ohio.
This shocking statistic comes from a YouGov poll conducted between September 11 and 12, reflecting the deep polarization of the American electorate regarding immigration.
The poll follows former President Donald Trump’s remarks in his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, where he said, “In Springfield, they eat the dogs – the people who came. They eat the cats. They eat the animals of the people who live there, and that’s what’s happening in our country, and it’s a disgrace.”
These comments, made without evidence, caused outrage and confusion. Although denied by local authorities, they sowed fear and misinformation in some political circles.
According to the YouGov poll, 52% of those likely to vote for Trump in 2024 think the accusations are “definitely” or “probably” true, while only 25% think they are false. A further 24% remain unsure. By contrast, the vast majority of likely Harris voters (88%) reject the false accusations, and only 4% consider them potentially true.
Registered Republicans also show a high degree of belief in this baseless allegation, with 46% considering it probably true, 29% believing it false, and 24% undecided.
Among Democrats, only 8% believe the allegation could be true, while 81% reject it out of hand.
In total, the poll reveals that 26% of the 1,120 adult US citizens surveyed believe the claim, while 54% reject it and 20% remain unsure. The poll’s margin of error is ±3.8%.
The origin of this unfounded rumor can be traced back to a message posted on Facebook by Erika Lee, a resident of Springfield, Ohio. On social networks, Ms. Lee claimed that her neighbor’s cat had disappeared, and suspicion fell on Haitian immigrants living nearby. The message quickly gained popularity, leading to a wave of speculation and fear. However, Lee later admitted to NBC News that she had no direct evidence to support her accusation. The neighbor, Kimberly Newton, reportedly received the information from a third party, further clouding the baseless rumor.
Ms. Lee regretted the situation, telling NBC: “It escalated into something I didn’t want to happen.” Defending her intentions, she added: “I’m not racist,” pointing out that her daughter is mixed race and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “Everyone seems to be making this about racism, and that wasn’t my intention,” she added.
Despite Lee’s admission and clarification, the damage had already been done. The rumor mill continued to grow, fueled by political figures and online media platforms.
Former President Trump’s comments at the debate weren’t the only instance where the baseless rumor was amplified. JD Vance, Republican senator from Ohio and Trump’s running mate, echoed the false claim in an interview with CNN, fanning the flames of misinformation. The junior Republican senator says he has no problem with “creating false stories” as long as they have the potential to grab the attention of the American people.
“The American media totally ignored this story until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories to get the American media to pay attention to the suffering of the American people, that’s what I’m going to do,” Vance told CNN host Dana Bash.
The latter insisted on this statement, pointing out that he had just admitted to fabricating the story. Vance responded that his goal was to draw attention to the broader issue of immigration, not the accuracy of the claims. “These are first-hand accounts from my constituents. I say we create a story, meaning we get the American media interested. I didn’t create the 20,000 illegal migrants coming to Springfield because of Kamala Harris’ policies. Her policies did,” Vance added.
These remarks highlight how political figures can use false narratives to divert attention to broader political agendas, even when the initial claims have no basis in fact.
Impact on the Haitian community
For Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, the spread of these rumors has had a significant impact on their daily lives. The city, located in Clark County, is home to between 12,000 and 15,000 immigrants, including Haitians who reside there legally under a U.S. parole program and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The parole program allows U.S. citizens and legal residents to sponsor family members from Haiti to join them in the United States. For many members of the Haitian community, these rumors have generated unwelcome attention, suspicion and even fear. Several schools and other institutions in the area were forced to close as a result of the bomb threats they had received.
The repercussions of the debate were not limited to social media. Residents reported seeing Ku Klux Klan leaflets distributed in their neighborhoods, as well as threats of bombs and mass shootings aimed at public institutions. On the Saturday following the debate, Wittenberg University in Springfield received one such threat. It was the 33rd bomb threat against schools, government offices and medical centers in the region since Trump’s remarks.
In the Haitian community, many parents kept their children at home for fear of violence.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has since announced that law enforcement is investigating the threats, which he says are the work of foreign actors. “We unfortunately have people overseas who are carrying out these actions,” said DeWine, adding that the threats appeared to be coming from one country in particular. Although DeWine did not specify which country, U.S. authorities have already named Russia and Iran as potential sources of election interference.
“We believe this is another attempt to interfere in the United States,” said DeWine.
In response to the growing threats, DeWine promised to allocate more resources to law enforcement in Springfield, assuring that schools would remain open despite the climate of fear created by these actions.
As recent polls show, the dissemination of false information can profoundly influence public opinion, even when the claims are unfounded. Unsubstantiated rumors about Haitian immigrants have not only affected those targeted, but have also become a political tool, amplifying fear and division in the United States.
Another poll conducted by Data for Progress between September 11 and 12 revealed that a majority of Republicans (69%) considered Trump’s remarks about Haitian immigrants to be “bizarre”. Among Democrats, this figure rises to 91%, while 77% of independents share the same view.
This shows that even within the Republican Party, not everyone agrees with Trump’s statements, although a large proportion still believe them. Nevertheless, the fact that almost half the Republicans surveyed by YouGov believe the allegations to be true shows the power of misinformation on political discourse.
City officials have consistently denied the claims made by Trump and others, emphasizing that there is no credible evidence to support the allegations. However, as Governor DeWine pointed out, the real challenge is to ensure that these lies don’t continue to divide communities.
In Haitian communities in the United States, several protest movements have been organized to denounce the racist attacks by Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, Elon Musk and their acolytes. Further protests are planned in the coming days.
This article was inspired by a Newsweek article. To read the original Newsweek article, click here