Trump plans to visit Springfield, Ohio, after spreading lies about Haitian immigrants eating pets there

Donald Trump is said to be planning a trip to Springfield, Ohio, after a week of peddling a conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants areeating cats and dogs in the city. Almost 35 years afterThe Simpsons thrust the city’s name into the spotlight, Springfield is back hitting headlines thanks to a wild (and baseless) Trump rumor.

Now, the former president is planning a visit to Springfield “soon,” a source familiar with Trump’s schedule told NBC News. It is not clear precisely when Trump will visit the city, although close ally Vivek Ramaswamy announced on X that he will be visiting the city for a town hall event on Thursday. The Independent has contacted Trump’s spokesperson for more information.

The former president announced to 67 million ABC viewers watchingthe presidential debate against his Democratic rival Kamala Harris that Haitian migrants have flocked to the city and are eating local pets and plucking waterfowl from parks and ponds to devour.

“They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said last Tuesday, leaving Harris aghast.

Local authorities had already debunked the lies even by the time Trump pushed the fictional narrative on the debate stage, with Springfield police saying there is no credible evidence to support the allegations, which were made last Monday evening. It came after Trump’s running mate JD Vance pushed the story as a vehicle for his xenophobic, anti-immigration narrative, and to attack Harris and the Biden administration’s border policy.

“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 last Monday. “Reports now show