Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) on Wednesday rejected false claims by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), that Haitian immigrants in the city of Springfield are stealing and eating people’s pets, citing local officials.
In an interview with CBS’s “America Decides,” DeWine said the wild claims first surfaced online.
“This is something that came out on the internet and the internet can be pretty crazy sometimes,” DeWine said.
The GOP governor added that city officials, including the working-class city’s Mayor Rob Rue, have insisted there is no evidence these activities are actually taking place.
“I think we have to do what the mayor says. He knows his city,” DeWine said.
While DeWine said Haitians in Springfield have filled vacancies and are “working very, very hard,” he also noted that the influx of migrants is putting a strain on the city’s resources.
Still, he did not directly answer a question about whether he was concerned that Trump and Vance’s racist rhetoric could endanger the lives of members of that community.
DeWine is endorsing Trump in the November election.
The White House earlier this week condemned the lie as “dangerous,” with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby warning that people “could react to it and someone could get hurt.”
Trump also brought up the debunked claim during the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump said. “The people who came here are eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people who live there. And this is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a disgrace.”
His comments prompted a fact-check by ABC’s David Muir, one of the event’s moderators.
Vance has also doubled down on embracing and spreading this false information, despite Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck telling ABC News that there are “no credible reports or specific allegations that pets have been abused, injured or mistreated by individuals within the immigrant community.”
“The city manager said there is no verifiable evidence. Many residents on the ground have said there is,” Vance told NBC News’ Yamiche Alcindor on Tuesday night. “That just means the city manager, I think, is not fully aware of what’s going on there on the ground.”
