Former President Donald Trump is facing mockery after suggesting
“Illegal Haitian migrants [are] taking over a beautiful place, it was so beautiful,” Trump said during a rally on Thursday. “Springfield, Ohio, I was there, I campaigned there a while ago. Springfield, it was so beautiful now it’s just — what a place.”
He went on:
“Can you imagine, you have this small little community, all of a sudden, you have a thousand illegals in your community. Nobody knows where they come from.”
Watch the video below:
Check out some of the reactions below:
Springfield has been in the news lately due to a now-debunked story about Haitian migrants eating pets.
The claims went viral after a resident made the allegation during a City Commission in August.
Trump mentioned the allegations during his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people … are eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. This is what’s happening in our country.”
However, the Springfield Police Department told Spectrum News, “There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”
“Additionally, there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of residents’ homes,” the law enforcement statement continued. “Furthermore, no reports have been made regarding members of the immigrant community deliberately disrupting traffic.”
Meanwhile, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said during a press conference, “We wish to clarify that we have not been able to verify any credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.
“The news story regarding a cat being killed or consumed did not originate in Springfield. It actually involved a Canton woman who was arrested for animal cruelty last month,” he added.
