A Springfield, Ohio, Trump supporter who blamed her Haitian neighbors for stealing her cat recently discovered that the missing pet had been hiding in her basement the entire time. Anna Kilgore filed a police report in late August, claiming they had stolen and eaten her cat, Miss Sassy. The case gained national attention after her accusations, according to Newsweek.
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After realizing her mistake, Kilgore apologized to her neighbors using a translation app. “It was a mistake,” she told reporters from the Wall Street Journal, acknowledging that the situation had spiraled out of control. Some members of the city’s Haitian community were now considering leaving due to safety concerns and the stigma generated by the incident. Kilgore’s accusations became a key piece of evidence for a false narrative that Haitian immigrants were eating pets in Springfield.
The rumor gained more attention when former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, repeated the claim. During the September 10 presidential debate, Trump said, “They’re eating people’s pets. This is what’s happening in our country.” Local police, city officials, and Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine, have debunked these claims, stating there is no evidence supporting the allegations.
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Officials have acknowledged the challenges due to the arrival of around 15,000 Haitian immigrants in the area. They have affirmed that there is no proof that any pets have been harmed. Many Haitian migrants in Springfield have come to the U.S. under the federal Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which allows them to live and work in the U.S. temporarily due to dangerous conditions in Haiti.
However, Vance and other GOP figures have maintained their stance and continue pushing a narrative that these migrants are entering the country illegally.
