An Ohio Republican has spoken out against the rumors promoted by the GOP nominee and his running mate, calling the viral claims “completely untrue.”
Rep. Mike Turner—who represents the 10th district in Ohio, including the city at the center of the rumors, Springfield—rebutted the rumors and his party’s presidential ballot on a recent interview he gave to a CNN reporter. Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, have been under fire for days as they persistently repeated unsubstantiated rumors about Haitian immigrants in the city stealing and eating pets.
During the September 10 presidential debate, the Trump said that “they’re eating the dogs” as well as “the cats” and “pets of the people that live there.” He made the bizarre comments in the context of talking about immigration, a top priority issue for voters this election, and emphasized that the lack of border security in America has led to migrants barbequing the pets of citizens.
Turner was asked by the interview host, Jake Tapper, if Trump and Vance should “stop lying” about the Haitians “eating people’s pets” in Springfield. He added that some schools and public buildings in the city have been thrown into chaos as they received safety concerns, including bomb threats, and that one woman who started the rumor has shared her regrets about doing so.
Turner described the false rumors as “incredibly tragic” as well as “completely untrue.” He added that the viral story “should not have happened” and that it is still “tearing the community apart.” He then took a more charitable view on Trump and Vance, giving them the benefit of the doubt that they have “moved on” and are no longer persisting in saying “these statements.”
Turner also commended the Springfield community as one that is “welcoming” and “together,” adding that they are working to “rise to the occasion” to meet the needs of the community. And even though Turner is under the impression that the GOP presidential ticket has “moved on” from the rumors, Vance in particular remains under high scrutiny for recent remarks he made that suggested he is willing to “create stories” about important issues to ensure that the media “actually pays attention” to such issues.
