JD Vance Doubles Down on Pet-Eating Claims

VP candidate defends narrative that has been disputed by police and Ohio's Republican governor
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 16, 2024 9:20 AM CDT
JD Vance Defends His Pet-Eating Claims
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks to reporters before he departs Pitt-Greenville Airport following a campaign event in Greenville, N.C., Saturday Sept. 14, 2024.   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

JD Vance appeared on multiple talk shows Sunday in which he doubled down on claims that Haitian immigrants were abducting and eating pets in Ohio, while defending the narrative as a way to put the media focus on the immigration policies of President Biden and VP Kamala Harris.

  • "The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes," Vance told CNN. "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."
  • When pressed on using the word "create," Vance clarified: "It comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents. I say that we're creating a story, meaning we're creating the American media focusing on it. ... We created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris' policies." The city has indeed seen a large influx of Haitian immigrants, and though Vance referred to them as "illegal immigrants," the city's FAQ page explains how they are living and working there legally.

  • On NBC, Vance reiterated in regard to the pet claims that his "constituents are seeing it with their own eyes." He referenced a video circulating on social media out of Dayton, notes Axios, though police there said in a statement "there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets." Vance also said on CBS News that at least 10 pet-eating claims are "verifiable."
  • Despite Vance's insistence to the contrary, officials including Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine pushed back. "There's a lot of garbage on the internet and, you know, this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true," he said on ABC News. "There's no evidence of this at all."
  • Vance rejected accusations that claims by him and Trump have led to bomb threats in Ohio. "All that I've done is surface the complaints of my constituents, people who are suffering because of Kamala Harris' policies," he said on CNN. "Are we not allowed to talk about these problems because some psychopaths are threatening violence?" To CBS, he added: "We're not mad at Haitian migrants for wanting to have a better life. We're angry at Kamala Harris for letting this happen to a small Ohio town." Trump last week threatened a mass deportation of Haitians from Springfield if he wins reelection, notes Axios.
(More JD Vance stories.)

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