- Sen. JD Vance has continued to amplify unverified claims of Haitians eating pets in Springfield.
- Some Republicans see that as a "distraction" and want to see more respect for Haitians.
- "Some people are going to suffer as a result," said Sen. Mitt Romney.
No politician has done more than Sen. JD Vance to keep unverified claims of pet-eating Haitian immigrants in the news. Now, some GOP lawmakers are showing signs of discomfort.
"I think that conversation, overall, has been distracting from the real issue at hand," said Rep. Juan Ciscomani. That doesn't mean the Arizona congressman, whose district includes portions of the US-Mexico border, isn't supportive of tougher border security and immigration measures. In the next breath, he denounced the "open border created by the Biden-Harris administration" and the "crisis that we're in" as the result of the administration's policies.
But Ciscomani, like other Republicans who represent tossup districts, isn't eager to get bogged down in circular conversations over whether or not Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating cats.
"The migrant crisis throughout the United States is a major problem," said Rep. Mike Lawler, whose New York district includes a large Haitian diaspora community in the country. "There's a lot bigger issues that should be focused on, and I think, obviously, in these conversations, showing respect for the Haitian community is important."
Before former President Donald Trump claimed during last week's presidential debate that Haitians were "eating the dogs" in Springfield, Vance had already amplified those rumors via social media, going as far as to urge "fellow patriots" to "keep the cat memes" flowing. Over the weekend, Vance defended doing so despite the impact that those baseless claims were having on the community, saying that he was willing to use the rumors to draw media attention toward the "suffering of the American people."
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has urged Vance and Trump to tone it down. "Those comments are — about eating dogs and things, they're very hurtful," DeWine told PBS News Hour this week, adding: "Frankly, they need to stop."
Springfield has faced challenges in recent years as thousands of Haitian immigrants have moved into the community for job opportunities. The influx of a large population of non-English speakers has spiked demand for translation services and put a strain on local healthcare services. At the same time, those Haitians have helped revitalize the local economy.
Vance in particular seems to believe that spreading the pet-eating claims about Haitians — even as some of them are ultimately debunked — is politically advantageous for Republicans, given broad support among the American public for curbing immigration. But it's not clear that's the case. A post-debate poll from YouGov found that the 54% of Americans think the claims are false or likely to be false, while just 28% believe them to be true.
"It may well have helped their campaign. I don't know the answer to that," Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah said. "But I think it's been unfortunate for Haitian refugees — who are here legally — to be singled out in an inaccurate way. Truth is often the first victim in a political campaign, but in this case, some people are going to suffer as a result."
Not every Republican is running from the cat claims. Rep. Marc Molinaro, who represents a battleground district in New York, has largely declined to back down since amplifying a false claim about Springfield.
"What I see is the focus by the media on everything but the crisis that actually exists," Molinaro told Business Insider, sidestepping a question on whether the claims about Haitians were a distraction. "Getting people to understand that crisis has been very challenging."
Other Republicans expressed mixed views on the issue.
"I don't think that's a conversation that people are going to decide who's going to be president on, one way or the other," Sen. Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia said of the cat claims. "That story seems to be all over the place. Is it true? Not true? What's true? Who knows? I haven't paid that much attention to it."
"I guess it's easier to have fun with the meme and pay less attention to the serious problem that Biden-Harris policies have produced," quipped Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.
And Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, an ideological ally of Vance, made the customary pivot he often makes when asked about something he'd rather not directly respond to.
"I can tell you what's happening in Springfield, Missouri," Hawley offered, detailing recent crimes he said were committed by migrants. "For all those reasons, we ought to close the border."