Fox Hosts Warn Trump and Vance’s False Claims About Haitians Sparked ‘Huge Problem’ in Ohio
(OSV News photo/Brian Snyder, Reuters)
Fox News host Howard Kurtz and Fox Business host Liz Claman discussed the fallout on Sunday from false claims made by Republican candidates Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, which led to bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio. The baseless claims, which suggested that Haitian migrants were eating pets, have been debunked by local officials, but the damage has already been done.
During the segment, Kurtz acknowledged that the accusations of pets being eaten had been thoroughly discredited. He explained how the story had shifted to geese, but even that claim lacked substance. “There was one guy, a Haitian—who’s not a Haitian, excuse me—who was helping two injured geese, and that was portrayed,” Kurtz said to Claman. He added, “So given that local officials, the city manager, the Ohio governor was a Republican, say there’s nothing to this, is this a problem?”
Claman agreed, emphasizing the serious consequences of these false claims. “It’s a huge problem, and here’s why,” she explained. “It has unleashed something really upsetting on Springfield. There have been bomb threats where elementary schools and hospitals—two hospitals yesterday—had to be on lockdown”, told NBC News.
Claman praised local media, particularly the Columbus Dispatch, for playing a key role in dispelling the rumors. “It really took Howie, the local media, the Columbus Dispatch, which is, by the way, right-leaning. They dispelled the whole geese issue, and by the way, the first line in their article on the web was, it is legal to shoot and hunt Canada geese.”
The false claims, amplified by prominent political figures like Trump and Vance, have had real-world consequences in Springfield, with threats to public safety. “But this is a very serious situation,” Claman emphasized, “and you know you’ve got a lot of people looking at it now.”
Kurtz closed the segment with a lighter remark, saying, “The cats and dogs at least are safe,” a nod to the absurdity of the initial claims. However, the broader issue of misinformation and its impact on local communities remains a significant concern.
