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A cache of internal emails obtained by 404 Media using a public records request show the chaos caused by the unfounded racist conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants are “eating the pets” of residents in Springfield, Ohio. The emails show city officials scrambling to deal with bomb threats, hateful and threatening emails and phone calls, a media bonanza, and confused residents in the immediate aftermath of the presidential debate, in which Donald Trump said “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’s running mate, JD Vance, told CNN that he has been willing to “create stories” about immigration in Springfield for media attention, which also came up at Tuesday’s vice presidential debate with Tim Walz.
404 Media obtained all emails that include the word “Haitian” sent to or sent by government officials in Springfield between September 8 and September 12, the days leading up to and immediately after the September 10 presidential debate. In total, we received hundreds of emails. The emails show, again, that there is no evidence of Haitian immigrants harming animals, and show a small staff of city employees dealing with a nightmare situation that focused a huge amount of attention on Springfield.
On September 9, two days before the debate, Springfield city manager Bryan Heck emailed all employees warning them about the narrative, which had already gone viral on X.
