The city manager for Springfield, Ohio, on Wednesday criticized recent claims that immigrants in the city harming people's pets as "misinformation" that distracts from the challenges the city faces due to the number of new arrivals.
Former President Trump said during the debate against Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night that "in Springfield, they're eating the dogs — the people that came in, they're eating the cats," repeating a claim previously made by his running mate, Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance, that city officials have strenuously denied.
Springfield city manager Brian Heck said in a video statement on Wednesday, "It is disappointing that some of the narrative surrounding our city has been skewed by misinformation circulating on social media and further amplified by political rhetoric and the current highly charged presidential election cycle."
Heck added, "While we are experiencing challenges related to the rapid growth of our immigrant population, these challenges are primarily due to the pace of the growth rather than the rumors being reported."
He continued, "These rumors will not distract us from addressing the real strain on our resources, including the impact to our schools, healthcare system, and first responders. We will continue to work collaboratively with our community partners to face these challenges head on and move Springfield forward together."
Heck's office previously said in a statement that "there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.
"Additionally, there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of residents' homes. Furthermore, no reports have been made regarding members of the immigrant community deliberately disrupting traffic."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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