Former President Trump’s rhetoric about Haitian immigrants in an Ohio town “has to stop,” President Biden said on Friday, as Republican-driven pet-eating conspiracy theories have led to security threats for residents of the community.
Driving the news: Students at Perrin Woods and Snowhill elementary schools were evacuated on Friday morning following threats, multiple outlets reported. A third school, Roosevelt Middle, closed all day Friday. The nature of the threats was not immediately clear.
- Springfield’s city hall, some county buildings and a separate school closed on Thursday as a precautionary measure in response to bomb threats.
State of play: Rue gave multiple interviews Thursday with news outlets as Springfield has quickly gained national attention. Trump made multiple references to the pet-eating conspiracy theory during and after the presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this week.
- The rumor gained traction online among right-wing influencers. It was “based entirely on third hand hearsay,” per a Newsguard investigation.
- Haitian residents in Springfield have felt unsafe since the false claims were amplified, the Haitian Times reported.
Context: Baseless claims and heated rhetoric from Trump and his allies have previously led to threatsagainst specific people or communities.
Between the lines: The Springfield claims “created a negative light, obviously, that we did not look for, we did not ask for,” Rue said on NewsNation.
- “These claims, they were just untrue,” Rue added.
What we’re watching: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on Wednesday allocated $2.5 million to expand access to primary care for people living in Springfield.
- DeWine previously provided support for