Former Republican candidate Donald Trump, on Wednesday, stood by false claims that immigrants in Ohio were stealing and eating residents’ pets, telling Latino voters during a town hall he was “just saying what was reported by journalists.”
In the past few weeks, Trump has amplified a false claim that has gone viral on social media, alleging that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing locals’ pets or taking wildlife from parks for food.
There have been no credible reports of Haitians eating pets, and authorities in Ohio—including Republicans—have repeatedly said the story is false.
At a town hall organized by Univision, a Latino Republican voter from Arizona asked Trump whether he really believed that immigrants were eating residents’ pets.
“I was just saying what was reported. All I do is report,” Trump replied during the event held in Miami. “I was there, I’m going to be there, and we’re going to take a look.”
Trump mentioned that “newspapers” had also covered the claim, without naming any or providing further details.
Trump, who has not yet visited Springfield, has previously stated he plans for extensive deportations of Haitian immigrants from the Ohio city, despite the fact that the majority of them are legally in the US.
The city has received bomb threats since Trump began repeating the false accusations against Haitians.
