The Republicans defending Trump’s debunked claims about pet-eating Haitian immigrants

Several GOP lawmakers have come to the defense of Donald Trump’sfalse claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Ohio.

This week, Trump, JD Vance and other right-wingers have promoted the unfounded conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating residents’ cats and dogs.

The theory – which city officials have said there is no evidence for – was even discussed on the debate stage as Trump faced off against Kamala Harris. Debate moderator David Muir pointed out the claim was unfounded, but Trump doubled down.

The baseless claim appears to have originated from a post describing a fourth-hand account on a Springfield Facebook group. There is no evidence to support the theory and city officials have rejected the claim.

Ohio Representative and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan used the theory to promote Trump’s campaign earlier this week. Jordan, on the right of the Republican Party, is co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus.

“When President Trump was in office: 1. The border was secure. 2. Illegal aliens weren’t eating your pets,” Jordan wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Florida GOP Representative Greg Steube told NOTUS “apparently there’s pictures” to back up the claim.

“The fact that you’re saying it’s not happening, it’s not true,” he told NOTUS

Fellow Florida congressman Brian Mast also told NOTUS it’s “not a stereotype that people eat different animals.”

“You go to different markets in different parts of the world, and you’re going to find horse on the menu, you’re going to find dog on the menu, you’re going to find cat on the menu,” he said.

Other Republican lawmakers, when asked by The Independent earlier this week, dodged the topic.

This week, Texas Senator Ted Cruz shared a meme of a