Springfield mayor: City officials told Vance staffer Haitian migrant rumors were ‘baseless’

Springfield, Ohio city officials told a staffer for Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) that rumors about Haitian migrants eating pets in the town were “baseless,” city mayor Rob Rue said on Thursday.

Rue confirmed earlier reports about the communication between city staff and the Vance campaign during an interview Thursday night on CNN.

“What has happened since then has happened,” Rue said.

The mayor said that Springfield city manager Bryan Heck received a call on Sept. 9 from one of Vance’s staffer’s about a rumor that immigrants were eating people’s pets in the town. Heck told the staffer such rumors were false.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the conversations between city staff and the Vance campaign on Wednesday.

“He asked point-blank, ‘Are the rumors true of pets being taken and eaten?’” Heck told the Journal. “I told him no. There was no verifiable evidence or reports to show this was true. I told them these claims were baseless.”

At that point, Vance already had posted online about the rumor that Haitian migrants in Springfield were eating pets. Former President Trump amplified that claim during the presidential debate on Sept. 10, and the city of Springfield experienced major fallout, including bomb threats and school evacuations.

After the debate, Rue told the public that their pets were safe in Springfield and the remark made by Vance and Trump was incorrect. No pet abductions have been made, he said.

Springfield has seen a huge wave of migrants from Haiti come to their community, and Rue said this has caused an “infrastructure strain” and the community has asked for resources, including translators. The city has been sent extra help to deal with the fallout of the Trump and Vance remarks.

Even before the false claims were amplified, Rue said the city was dealing with a “culture clash” and tensions were high among communities.

Rue issued an emergency proclamation Thursday to address public safety concerns and said ensuring the safety of Springfield residents was “our top priority.”

The Hill has reached out to the Vance campaign for comment.