Haiti condemns Trump and GOP claims of migrants eating dogs in Ohio

The Haitian government on Wednesday condemned statements made by U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and other Republican figures, falsely alleging that Haitian migrants in Ohio were killing and eating pet dogs and cats.

In an official statement, the government criticized the “discriminatory remarks,” saying, “Unfortunately, this is not the first time that compatriots abroad have fallen victim to disinformation campaigns, been stigmatized and dehumanized to serve electoral political interests.” It added, “We firmly reject these remarks, which undermine the dignity of our compatriots and could endanger their lives.”

The controversy emerged after several Republicans circulated baseless claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were responsible for killing and consuming pets. The city’s manager has since denied these allegations, confirming they are without factual support.

Trump repeated the false claims during a televised debate with Democrat Kamala Harris on Tuesday, saying, “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.” Despite being challenged by ABC News moderator David Muir, who debunked the claim, Trump maintained that “people on television say their dog was eaten.”

Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly Twitter, also played a role in spreading the baseless claims, which have gained attention across the U.S., where a majority of households own pets.

Haiti’s government warned that such disinformation could have dangerous consequences for migrants’ safety and called for the protection of their dignity amid the false allegations.