It was probably the weirdest thing a major-party presidential nominee has ever said during a general election debate. Donald Trump, after having been triggered by comments about his rally crowds, voiced his support for a racist anti-immigrant conspiracy theory.
“In [Springfield, Ohio] they’re eating the dogs,” the former president said, referring to Haitian-American immigrants in the community. “The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
To the extent that reality still has any meaning, local officials have thoroughly discredited this ugly nonsense. But after the Republican nominee, his running mate and far too many of their allies have amplified the garbage, the public is starting to see the real-world consequences of the lies. NBC News reported:
The Ohio town at the center of a culture war over debunked claims about Haitian migrants was forced to close City Hall on Thursday after it received a bomb threat, it announced on its website and social media channels. … In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Springfield police said that at least 6 buildings, including an elementary school, were closed and investigated as a result of the threat.
Hours later, Trump campaigned in Arizona, where he pushed the same false claims again, apparently indifferent to the damage he’s doing. At one point the GOP nominee went so far as to condemn “illegal Haitian migrants” who destroyed an Ohio community. “Nobody knows where they come from,” he added.
Trump: Illegal Haitian migrants taking over a beautiful place… Nobody knows where they come from. pic.twitter.com/YKZHvDo7T7
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 12, 2024
The truth, whether the former president cares or not, is that the Haitians entered the country legally; they’ve helped the local community; and everyone knows exactly where they came from. (Haitians come from Haiti. Even Trump should be able to understand this.)
But as this utterly insane story continues, I’m reminded of something the Republican said during his 2016 campaign.
Exactly eight years ago this week, Trump campaigned in Miami and spent some time at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, stressing the “common values” he shared with Haitian Americans.
“Whether you vote for me or not,” the then-candidate said at the time, “I really want to be your biggest champion.” A year later, he scrapped temporary protected status for Haitians who were allowed entry to the U.S. following a devastating earthquake in 2010. A year after that, the Republican hosted a White House meeting and referred to Haiti as a “s—hole” country. And now, Trump is lying to the public about Haitian immigrants — the same people he told, “I really want to be your biggest champion” — betraying a community he vowed to look out for. It’s hard to say how many people believed the Republican’s rhetoric in 2016, but I have some bad news for those who trusted him.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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