JD Vance blatantly admits to 'creating' pet-eating stories in Ohio but ...

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance has found himself at the centre of a controversy yet again. This time after admitting in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash that he and former President Donald Trump fabricated a false story about Haitian immigrants. The baseless claim suggested that Haitian immigrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, a narrative that has since sparked widespread criticism.

Neither Vance nor Trump has been able to provide evidence for the outlandish claim that Haitian immigrants are eating pets.(AFP)

Trump and Vance have stood by the claim despite Republican presidential candidate being left red faced after the ABC moderator fact checked him during the presidential debate against Kamala Harris. “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats,” Trump claimed. They’re eating – they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame,” he went on. To which the moderator responded, there is no evidence to prove that.

The shocking claim has led to huge chatter online with many coming out with memes and videos.

Now, during the CNN interview, Vance stood by the debunked claim and blatantly admitted, "The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually has to pay attention to the suffering of American people, then that’s what I’m going to do."

When the CNN host, Dana Bash, noted that he had used the word “creating,” Mr. Vance replied, “I say that we’re creating a story, meaning we’re creating the American media focusing on it.”

Vance’s remarks that were later endorsed by Elon Musk and other MAGA supporters have ignited tensions in Springfield, leading to protests by groups like the Proud Boys, school closures due to threats, and verbal attacks on the Haitian community. Despite these alarming consequences, Vance doubled down during the interview, even telling Bash to "shut up" when pressed about the harm caused by the rumor.

Earlier in a social media post Vance had accepted, his office had “received many inquiries” about the false claims, but added that “it’s possible, of course, that all of these rumours will turn out to be false.”

Neither Vance nor Trump has been able to provide evidence for the outlandish claim, and no residents have come forward with proof that their pets were eaten by Haitian immigrants. This has only fuelled the fire of criticism, with many accusing the senator of stirring racial animosity for political gain.

Ohio State Representative Casey Weinstein, others on social media, are now calling for Vance's resignation, arguing that the senator's actions were both irresponsible and dangerous.

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