A social media post by Ohio Gov. Jon Husted on Friday appeared to joke about a racist conspiracy theory that continues to rock the Ohio community.
A day after a Springfield school and other public buildings were evacuated and closed due to bomb threats, on the same day that two other Springfield elementary schools were evacuated and one high school was placed on lockdown due to a recent, separate bomb threat, Husted posted a photo of two geese on X Friday morning with the comment: “Most Americans agree that these migrants should be deported.”
It was an apparent reference to a conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants in Springfield. It came three days after former President Donald Trump expanded on the claim that Haitian immigrants who are legally in Springfield are stealing their neighbors’ pets and eating them.
“They eat dogs. They eat cats. They eat the pets of the people who live there.“– said an furious Trump during Tuesday’s debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
The day before, on Monday, Trump’s vice presidential nominee, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, published on X “Reports now show that some pets have been snatched and eaten by people who should not be in the country.”
Springfield mayor, city manager AND Chief of Policealso Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, all refuted these claims.
Springfield City Hall, School and County Buildings were closed Thursday after bomb threats related to the influx of Haitian immigrants into the community. There were also reports of vandalism of immigrant property and widespread fear among the Haitian community.
Two more Springfield elementary schools were evacuated Friday due to a bomb threat, the city manager’s office confirmed. Cleveland.com reported. The high school was also placed on lockdown Friday before classes began. Police did not provide further details but said the threats on Friday were separate from those made on Thursday.
Springfield Mayor Bob Rue confirmed that at least one of the bomb threats also included disparagement of Haitian immigrants, WSYX reported on Friday.
In the absence of any evidence of theft and eating of dogs and cats, data such as: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost AND Fox News Personality Jesse Watters focused on unconfirmed reports that Haitians in Springfield were hunting and eating wild geese.
Springfield, which has a population of 58,000, has been grappling with an influx of 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian immigrants, most of whom arrived in the past five years under Temporary Protected Status. chaos in their home countrySchools, health care facilities and other resources were flooded by rapid population growth.
Earlier this week, Governor DeWine announced It will send the highway patrol to Springfield to facilitate him and also allocate $2.5 million to facilitate with health care.
On the other hand, this influx is attributed Revitalizing the Community who was population decline since at least 1990.
Anti-immigration rhetoric linked to mass violence. Experts say stoking fears of an “immigrant invasion” and “terror” and conspiracy theories about a “great replacement” have helped motivate racist massacres over the past six years Pass, Buffalo, AND Pittsburgh.
Husted, the lieutenant governor who joked about the situation in Springfield, is expected to compete with Yost, the attorney general, for the Republican nomination for governor in 2026.
His spokeswoman, Hayley Carducci, was asked Friday whether Husted had any evidence that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were eating pets or geese, and if not, whether he thought it was a witty subject for jokes. She was also asked whether Husted was concerned that the publicity conspiracy theory will target yet another vulnerable group of people living in the state it wants to rule.
“I have no additional comment,” Carducci said.
