The Mayor of Springfield, Ohio says his town and its schools have received at least 33 bomb threats since former president Donald Trump accused the city’s Haitian migrants of abducting and eating peoples’ pets.
The first threats were received Thursday against Springfield City Hall and a local elementary school, forcing evacuations of both buildings. The threats came two days after Trump’s first (and perhaps last) debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, in which he initially made the claim.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump told the nation.
The debunked claim had been circulating on social media for several days prior. In the run-up to the debate, Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, had also accused the town’s Haitian residents of stealing and eating pets. Vance later admitted he pushed the rumor to get media coverage of the immigration challenges in Springfield.
A City Undergoes Enormous Change
Springfield is a mid-sized town between Dayton and Columbus. It saw significant population loss after the decline of manufacturing jobs. In 2017, city leaders and the chamber of commerce developed a plan to revitalize the city. The plan was a success. New businesses began rolling in, but they quickly found there was a shortage of workers.
With the city’s blessing, they turned to Haitian migrants, who had been granted Temporary Protection Status (TPS) by the Biden administration because of turmoil in Haiti. TPS status allows these migrants to work in the U.S. legally.
The city estimates that anywhere between 12,000 and 20,000 Haitian people have arrived in Springfield. That’s a large number for a city with a population of less than 60,000. Although the migrants have been a benefit to Springfield’s economy, the influx has led to challenges related to resources and assimilation.
Residents have voiced their frustrations about the situation at city council meetings. Many of the complaints are legitimate, and the city says it is working to address them. Others have accused the council of conspiring with George Soros to import illegal immigrants and displace the local population. That’s an allegation officials say is flatly untrue.
Springfield Becomes a Meme
The pet eating rumor began with a single Facebook post by a local resident. It snowballed after conservative media influencers and elected politicians picked it up. Suddenly, dog and cat eating memes were everywhere.
The reaction went from ridiculous to dangerous after Trump brought the rumor up in the debate, using it as a cudgel to attack Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ immigration policies. First came the evacuation of Springfield City Hall. Then it was the Springfield Academy of Excellence, Fulton Elementary School, and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. At one point, all county buildings and the Springfield City School District were shut down due to threats. On Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the Ohio State Highway Patrol to safeguard schools across the city.
Appeals for Calm
So far, none of the threats have turned out to be valid, according to the governor. Many of the hoaxes are originating overseas — particularly from a single country — he said.
In the meantime, DeWine and the mayor have reiterated that there is no evidence Haitian immigrants are stealing or eating the town's pets. Both of them have pleaded with their fellow Republicans to tone down the rhetoric.
Sources close to Trump say the former president plans to visit the city soon.