In perhaps the strangest thing a major-party presidential candidate has ever said during a general election hurrah, Donald Trump, galvanized by comments about his rally crowd, voiced support for a racist, anti-immigrant conspiracy theory.
“In [Springfield, Ohio] “They eat the dogs,” the former president said, referring to Haitian-American immigrants in the community. “The people that came in, they eat the cats. They eat, they eat the pets of the people that live there.”
To the extent that reality has any meaning left, local officials have thoroughly discredited this ugly nonsense. But after the Republican candidate, his running mate and far too many of their allies amplified the nonsense, the public is beginning to see the real consequences of the lies. NBC News reported:
The Ohio city at the center of a culture war over debunked claims about Haitian migrants was forced to close City Hall Thursday after receiving a bomb threat, the city announced on its website and social media channels. … During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Springfield police said at least six buildings, including an elementary school, were closed and investigated as a result of the threat.
Hours later, Trump campaigned in Arizona, where he regurgitated the same false claims, seemingly oblivious to the damage he was doing. At one point, the GOP candidate went so far as to condemn “illegal Haitian migrants” who were destroying an Ohio community. “Nobody knows where they came from,” he added.
The truth, whether the former president cares or not, is that the Haitians entered the country legally; they helped the local community; and everyone knows exactly where they come from. (Haitians come from Haiti. Even Trump should be able to understand this.)
But as this insane saga continues to unfold, I’m reminded of something the Republican said during his campaign a few years ago.
This week marks eight years since Trump campaigned in Miami and spent time at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, where he emphasized the “common values” he shared with Haitian-Americans.
“Whether you vote for me or not,” the then-candidate said at the time, “I really want to be your biggest champion.”
A year later, he scrapped temporary protected status for Haitians who had been allowed to enter the U.S. after a devastating earthquake in 2010. A year later, the Republican hosted a rally at the White House and called Haiti a “s—hole” country.
And now Trump is lying to the public about Haitian immigrants — the same people to whom he said, “I really want to be your biggest champion” — betraying a community he swore to care for.
It’s hard to say how many people believed the Republican’s rhetoric in 2016, but I have bad news for those who trusted him.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
