Springfield, Ohio, Braces for a Possible Trump Visit, Though Details Are Scarce

Residents of the Ohio city where Donald J. Trump has baselessly insisted that Haitian immigrants are eating their neighbors’ pets expressed concern on Thursday after Mr. Trump publicly promised to visit in two weeks.

The city, Springfield, has become a focus of unwanted national attention after Mr. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, began sharing since-debunked claims that Haitian residents had been taking and eating people’s pets. Mr. Trump himself amplified that claim in his debate last week against Vice President Kamala Harris.

On Wednesday night at a rally on Long Island, Mr. Trump said he planned “to go there in the next two weeks.” The former president has a long history of saying he’ll do something — and do it in two weeks — only to move on and never mention it again.

Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio and the city’s mayor, Rob Rue, both of whom are Republicans, said on Thursday that preparations were underway for a potential visit.

At a news conference, the mayor, Mr. Rue, said he hoped Mr. Trump would change his mind and that doing so would “convey a significant message of peace” to Springfield. Mr. DeWine, appearing at the same news conference, said that if Mr. Trump continued to make baseless allegations about the Haitian residents of Ohio, he would correct him, but that it wasn’t his place to discourage Mr. Trump from visiting his state.

Mr. Rue also issued a public safety proclamation for the city. The directive, according to a city statement, grants the mayor “temporary emergency powers to mitigate public safety concerns.” The city has faced bomb threats, many of which Mr. DeWine has said were from foreign actors looking to stir chaos.