J.D. Vance’s False Claim About Immigrants Eating Pets Sparks Backlash and Satire
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Senator J.D. Vance’s baseless claim that immigrants were caught eating Americans’ pets has drawn widespread ridicule and even prompted a fact check from The Washington Post. The false allegation, which quickly spread across social media, sparked disbelief and humor among those familiar with the truth.
Philip Bump of The Washington Post expressed confusion over a wave of AI-generated images showing former President Donald Trump rescuing small animals. “Trump was shown protecting ducks and kitty cats,” Bump wrote, highlighting the bizarre turn of events. He noted, “This is a central reason that Vance and others on the right are susceptible to being described as ‘weird.'”
Vance had circulated what The New Republic labeled a “racist rumor,” claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were capturing and eating cats and ducks. The story had no factual basis. As The New Republic clarified, “Right-wingers seemed to have conflated a report from Canton, Ohio, of a woman who was arrested for allegedly killing and eating a cat, with complaints from residents in Springfield more than 170 miles away.”
Police in Springfield also confirmed that no reports of pets being stolen or eaten had been received. Bump further pointed out that the Haitian residents in Springfield are not illegal immigrants, countering the narrative Vance was trying to promote. Yet the rumor gained traction, with Republicans like Rep. Mike Collins echoing the claim. Even the House GOP Judiciary shared an AI-generated photo of Trump seemingly contemplating whether to kiss a duck or a kitten, adding to the surreal nature of the situation.
Documentary filmmaker Lauren Windsor responded to the absurdity, joking, “Is RFK Jr on the loose there?” Meanwhile, Jon Schwartz, a former columnist for The Intercept, took the satire a step further, suggesting the next conspiracy theory: “The right should combine its two best urban legends and start saying Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating children who identify as cats… when the kids are using their litter boxes at public school.”
Artist Gary Peterson, known for trolling MAGA supporters, joined in with his own satirical take, sharing an AI image of Trump and writing, “While jokesters want to eat our animals, President Trump will not only build a new Ark of the Covenant but will make the zoos pay for it, just as Noah did when he freed our pets from Egypt.”
The episode has left many shaking their heads at the continued spread of bizarre and unfounded claims within some political circles.
