JD Vance spreads racist rumor that Haitian immigrants are abducting peoples’ pets and eating them in Ohio

JD Vance has drawn heavy criticism after spreading a racist and debunked rumor that illegal immigrants from Haiti are abducting and eating pets in an Ohio town.

Donald Trump’s running mate posted a video of himself online in which he peddled the rumor, and saidimmigrants were “causing chaos” in the town of Springfield.

The intent of sharing the baseless claim appeared to be to attack Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, over her border and immigration policies.

“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” Vance wrote on X on Monday.

“Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?”

The post since has been viewed 2.4 million times, according to X.

Vance’s debunked claim appears to have originated from a local Facebook group in Springfield which warned residents to be wary of the Haitian community and alleged that animals, including cats and dogs, were being “carved up” for consumption.

Last month at a Springfield city meeting, a resident also claimed that Haitian migrants were decapitating ducks in public parks and eating them.

Police in Springfield subsequently confirmed that they had received no reports of pets being stolen or eaten, according to the Springfield News-Sun. The force said it was aware of the viral Facebook post but that such claims were false.

As one X user wrote to Vance on Monday: “This has been debunked but of course you’re spreading fake news. You’re desperate and sad.”

“This is a lie. you are a liar, and a bad one at that,” added another.

These claims have also been promoted online by the social