3 months ago
16
Indian-origin billionaire and former Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has spoken about the ongoing controversy over the rumors that Haitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs -- spread by his party veterans and said the immigrants should not be blamed. Neither the locals should be blamed, the Republican leader said.
Announcing a town hall in Ohio's
Springfield
on Thursday where Vivek wants to listen to the diverse voices from the local community including the Haitian immigrants, Vivek said the "awful federal policies" are to be blamed for whatever unfolded in Springfield.
These policies callously used these migrants as political paws to sow division by transporting them to a community everyone knew was unprepared to handle them, Vivek said. "It's said to see this happening just one hour from where I live, but the first step to reuniting America starts with open dialogue."
Springfield has been on the brink as it received several bomb threats after former president Donald Trump mentioned the 'cat-eating' rumors in his debate speech. Fact-checkers debunked the claim and said all evidences based on which the Republicans spread the rumors were unsubstantiated. But Republicans are doubling down on the claims and now a purported video of Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck is going viral in which he expressed concerns over pets.
Trump's running mate JD Vance who spread the claims on his social media recently got broiled in a CNN interview where he said he is willing to create stories to get media attention but then clarified that he did not create the complaints that his office received from Ohio residents and the dangers posed by immigrants in Springfield are real.
Another claim emerged that African immigrants in Dayton have been killing and eating pets.
Springfield City manager Bryan Heck released a statement condemning the situation created in Springfield. "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 in the current highly charged election cycle," Heck said.
