Politics

JD Vance spreads a xenophobic, racist conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating pets

Published

11 months ago

November 12, 2024

JD Vance spreads a xenophobic, racist conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating pets

On Monday, JD Vance dived face-first into a racist and xenophobic conspiracy theory when the GOP vice presidential nominee promoted a false allegation that Haitian immigrants in Ohio have been eating people’s pets. This aligns with other “fear the brown people” rhetoric pushed by Donald Trump and his cringe-inducing running mate.

In the lead-up to Election Day, the Trump-Vance campaign has ramped up its anti-immigrant bigotry by using rhetoric and imagery quite literally befitting the Ku Klux Klan. The former president, for example, has spread lies about armed immigrant gangs taking over apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado — a claim he doubled down on Friday even after it was debunked by local police. Trump also told attendees at Friday’s rally in Wisconsin that immigrants will take their homes if he’s not elected — and that, with migrants and crime, people are not even safe attending his rallies.

Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?

jd vancein a post on x

For his part, Vance last week spread the grotesque lie that Kamala Harris is allowing cartels to engage in child sex trafficking in the U.S. The Ohio senator’s post on X about Haitian immigrants fit this sickening trend.

“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” Vance wrote.

“Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?”

But in reality, Ohio is not the “Birth of a Nation”-esque hellscape that Vance tried to depict. As the Springfield News-Sun reported Monday, local police have received no such reports of pet-eating Haitians … or of anyone eating stolen pets, for that matter.

As the Springfield News-Sun reported Monday, local police have received no such reports of pet-eating Haitians … or of anyone eating stolen pets, for that matter.

Meanwhile, this bigoted conspiracy theory had merely been boosted by the likes of Charlie Kirk and Elon Musk. And it also was pushed by the X accounts for Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

There’s certainly some irony to note here. If there’s one party that has shown a willingness to excuse gruesome pet killings, it’s the party that counts South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as one of its members. But the truth is a mere inconvenience for the Republican Party, whose members have shown a disturbing willingness to portray immigrants of color as uncivilized beasts unfit to walk among us.

Ya’han Jones

Ja’han Jones is The ReidOut Blog writer. He’s a futurist and multimedia producer focused on culture and politics. His previous projects include “Black Hair Defined” and the “Black Obituary Project.”

Politics

Chuck Schumer gets his preferred candidate, Janet Mills, in crowded Maine Senate race

Published

2 hours ago

October 14, 2025

Blue Light Newsroom

Maine Gov. Janet Mills joined her state’s crowded Democratic Senate primary as the establishment favorite on Tuesday, aiming to flip Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ seat in a pivotal midterm year.

Democrats view the seat as one of their top pickup opportunities — the only in a state Kamala Harris won in 2024 — and Mills is among a few top-tier candidates Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer aggressively recruited to run this cycle. But first the term-limited governor must contend with a competitive primary against breakout candidate Graham Platner, an oyster farmer who announced he has more than $3 million in the bank and already received the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Maine Beer Company owner Dan Kleban is also running for the nomination and his fundraising figures will be made public Wednesday, when federal filings are released.

In her launch video, Mills highlighted her recent fight with President Donald Trump over transgender sports and accused Collins of enabling him. “I won’t sit idly by while Maine people suffer and politicians like Susan Collins bend the knee as if this were normal,” Mills said.

Despite initial hesitation, the governor started interviewing staff and telling local reporters she was seriously considering a bid last month.

She addressed that long contemplation in her announcement, saying in the video, “Honestly, if this president and this Congress were doing things that were even remotely acceptable, I wouldn’t be running for the U.S. Senate.”

The race sets up the latest generational clash for a party struggling to find its footing after losing the White House and both branches of Congress last year.

Mills, who won her seat by wide margins in her last two races, is 77 years old, making her five years Collins’ senior at a time when Americans are grappling with debates about the age of their politicians. If elected, she would be the oldest first-year senator ever. Platner is 41 and unlikely to leave the race for Mills; Kleban, who is 48, has so far dodged questions about what he would do if Mills jumped in.

Democrats need to pick up four seats in order to win back control of the Senate, a difficult task that all but has to include a pickup in Maine, where Harris won by 7 points.

Democrats poured millions of dollars into an ultimately-unsuccessful effort to unseat Collins in 2020 — but her declining popularity in the bluing state is giving Democrats hope that next year’s race could be their best chance yet.

Republicans are eager to expose Mills’ weaknesses, and have already targeted her public fight Trump, as well as her age.