Parker Molloy writes:

The lie was absurd, and yet it spread like wildfire. A baseless rumor, claiming Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing and eating people’s pets, began as a fringe social media post. In a matter of days, it had evolved into a talking point at the highest levels of Republican politics. Trump mentioned it in a presidential debate, and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, repeated it without a shred of evidence.

But the fallout didn’t stay online. As this racist conspiracy gained traction, it spilled over into the real world with devastating consequences. Bomb threats, school closures, vandalized businesses — this is what happens when dangerous lies are amplified for political gain. In Springfield, a town already struggling to accommodate a sudden influx of immigrants, the lie became a weapon, targeting vulnerable families and fueling division.

It began with a single post in a private Facebook group. An unnamed individual claimed that Haitian immigrants were abducting pets for food. There was no evidence, no credible witnesses — just hearsay from an anonymous user in a small town. Yet, within days, right-wing influencers on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) had taken this baseless claim and run with it. They didn’t just repeat it; they embellished it, framing it as a systemic issue tied directly to immigration policy under the Biden-Harris administration. [Continue reading…]