Former President Donald Trump said at a rally Wednesday that he would travel to Springfield, Ohio, the focal point of unsubstantiated claims targeting Haitian migrants, “in the next two weeks.”
“I’m going to go there in the next two weeks. I’m going to Springfield, and I’m going to Aurora” in Colorado, Trump said at a rally in Uniondale, New York.
Trump has pushed baseless claims that Haitian migrants in the beleaguered Ohio city are eating pets, which have repeatedly been debunked. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, and the ticket’s allies have also spread the lie.
As for Aurora, Trump has repeatedly spread debunked rumors related to Venezuelans in the city.
Social media posts spread online falsely claiming that a Venezuelan gang had taken over an apartment complex, which local officials denied. Trump has repeatedly invoked both Springfield and Aurora at his rallies.
“You may never see me again, but that’s OK. Got to do what I got to do,” Trump added. “‘Whatever happened to Trump?’ ‘Well, he never got out of Springfield.’”
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue, a Republican, said at a news conference Tuesday that a visit from Trump “would be an extreme strain on our resources.”
“So it’d be fine with me if they decided not to make that visit,” he said.
NBC News has reported that Trump planned to visit Springfield “soon.”
As Trump, Vance and their allies repeatedly spread false claims about the city, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said at least 33 bomb threats have been made in Springfield. DeWine, a Republican, said some of them are coming from “one particular country,” which he declined to name.
The president of the Haitian Community Support Center in Springfield told NBC News that the conspiracy theory has made Haitians “scared for their lives.”
Trump has spread false claims about Haitian migrants at his rallies and during his debate last week against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump said, falsely, during the debate. “The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”
Springfield officials said there are “no credible reports” to support the claim.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for further information about his plans for a trip.
Jillian Frankel contributed.
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