Origin of Trump and JD Vance’s lies about Haitian immigrants eating pets revealed

The origin ofDonald Trump and JD Vance’s baseless, debunked claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, has now been revealed – with the story coming from a local woman who heard it fourth-hand.

Earlier this month, Erika Lee, 35, posted the bizarre anecdote in a local Facebook group.

As the story goes, a cat owner found her dead pet hanging from a tree ready to be skinned, butchered and eaten at a house said to be occupied by Haitian immigrants.

The story was quickly debunked by local police and, after he initially perpetuated the false narrative, Ohio Senator Vance himself even admitted that the rumors could be make-believe.

But on Tuesday, Donald Trump decided to broadcast the false claim further – parroting it live to 67 million Americans as he took on Kamala Harris in their first presidential debate in Philadelphia.

“They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said to a jolted vice president who laughed and labeled the claim “extreme.”

Now, Lee has revealed her vastly dubious sourcing for the baseless story: that she heard it from a neighbor, who heard it from a friend, who heard it from their daughter. She also admitted that she doesn’t even know the person who is believed to have started the tale.

“Honestly, it blew me away,” Lee told NewsGuard after hearing Trump’s statement, after the outlet traced the sourcing.

“I didn’t think that any of this would explode to the presidency.”

The neighbor who spread the gossip to Lee, Kimberly Newton, also admitted to NewsGuard that her sources were unreliable.

“I’m not sure I’m the most credible source because I don’t actually know the person who lost the cat,” she told the website. “I