Vance Under Fire for Spreading Baseless Claim About Haitian Immigrants in Ohio
(Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)
Sen. J.D. Vance is facing intense backlash after a Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that he knowingly shared a false story about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Despite being informed by city officials that the claim was baseless, Vance posted the unfounded allegation on X (formerly Twitter), sparking outrage and fear among residents.
Springfield city manager Bryan Heck told the Journal that he informed a Vance staffer on Sept. 9, the same day the Ohio Republican publicly shared the claim, that there was no evidence to support the rumor. The post remained online as of Wednesday morning, despite the growing criticism.
“A smoking gun,” Ohio Capital-Journal reporter Marty Schladen wrote on X. “Despite at least 33 bomb threats, death threats against public officials, terror among Haitians — in a town in the state he represents — Vance kept saying it anyway.”
Further investigation by the Wall Street Journal revealed that Vance’s campaign had pointed to a local woman, Anna Kilgore, who claimed a Haitian immigrant had taken her cat in August. However, by the time reporters arrived, Kilgore’s cat, Miss Sassy, had been found safe in her basement. Kilgore had apologized to her Haitian neighbors for starting the rumor.
Conservative commentator Pedro L. Gonzalez expressed frustration at how poorly Vance handled the situation, noting that the baseless rumor had become a GOP talking point. “The Springfield lady… found the cat safe in her basement and then apologized to her Haitian neighbors for starting a rumor that became a GOP talking point,” Gonzalez wrote.
Criticism of Vance was not limited to the left. Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell condemned Vance’s actions, noting, “Vance’s team actually did look into the rumor, and was told unequivocally that it was BS. Vance amplified it anyway.”
Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg raised serious concerns about Vance’s judgment and fitness for leadership. “If Vance is willing to lie and unleash hell on his own constituents for what he believed was political gain,” Rosenberg asked, “what does that say about what he would be willing to do to the country?”
Political scientist David Darmofal echoed these sentiments, sarcastically suggesting that the Trump-Vance campaign slogan could be, “Make America Springfield,” given how the situation was mishandled in Ohio. The controversy has added another layer of scrutiny to Vance’s political approach, raising questions about his integrity and the potential consequences of spreading unverified claims for political gain.
