Newly revealed internal emails provide horrific details about the torrent of violent threats that poured in to Springfield, Ohio, after Donald Trump and J.D. Vance spread false claims about Haitian immigrants “eating the pets” of residents.
Vance, the state's junior senator, admitted after the threats were reported and local officials debunked their claims that he was willing to “create stories” to draw media attention to immigration and other issues, but the emails obtained by 404 Media through a public records request show the chaos his fictions created for his constituents.
“Fellow Employees: As you are aware we were already in the national spotlight as it relates to immigration in our country," wrote city manager Bryan Heck to all employees on Sept. 9, two days before the debate. "Over the weekend we have been trending on ‘X’ and other social media platforms. The primary focus has been on Haitian immigrants in our community supposedly stealing cats and ducks and in turn eating them. Other issues related to the immigrant situation are also mentioned in the posts. This has gone viral and we are being bombarded with emails from individuals all over the country as well as various media outlets seeking to capture the momentum of the story."
"If you happen to be copied on any of these emails, please do not respond," he added. "If you are aware of any illegal activity involving animals being taken from parks, or other areas of the City, please bring those to me so they can be properly handled and investigated.”
The media outlet obtained all emails that include the word "Haitian" sent by Springfield officials between Sept. 8 and Sept. 12, the two days before and after the Sept. 10 presidential debate, and turned up hundreds of missives that show no evidence of immigrants harming animals but demonstrate the chaos and fear the Republican ticket sparked in the city.
A police officer emailed city employees to notify them that the department was investigating whether there had been any calls about animal cruelty and found only one that might fit that definition, but he described how concerns by a woman who reported finding "cat meat" outside her home quickly fell apart under mild scrutiny.
"The female advised she had let her cat out a few days prior and it had not returned," the officer wrote. "She found what she believed to be ‘meat’ in her yard and looked on the internet and believed it to be cat meat. She was speaking to her neighbors about it and they closed the blinds on her which led her to believe they had something to do with it. Officers did not observe any bones or fur around the meat to substantiate the claim and advised the caller. The caller advised she was going to take the ‘meat’ to get cremated.”
However, the woman ended up finding the cat inside her own home: “I was advised by [another police officer] she went to the original callers' house in the cat call above and spoke to her 2 days later. She advised she had her cat back.”
Heck and mayor Rob Rue received most of the threatening emails because they had publicly pushed back on claims made by Trump and Vance, and many of the messages suggested violently driving out the city's Haitian migrants and sending them to Democratic-led states.
“Since it’s obvious that you and the rest of the cowards on the city council are too afraid to handle this invasion citizens will apparently need to do so themselves," said one email, whose author suggested residents buy large dogs to attack Haitians. "Purchase of Belgian Malinois and Cane Corsos should skyrocket along with protection training. If the dog goes in its yard and invaders are there, well, I guess lunch time it is.”
Assistant city manager contacted two U.S. Air Force officials on Sept. 12 to alert them to bomb threats that forced closure of city hall and other facilities, and he said city officials expected "ongoing issues" like that related to false claims made by Trump and Vance, and organizations that assist the city's migrants also reported threats.
“You people are about as Catholic as Judas," read an email sent to Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio. "You are human traffickers serving Satan and the wicked in high places. Apparently none of you thought to teach the Haitian cannibals you illegally placed in Springfield to refrain from hunting killing and eating household pets. You are exposed. You should all be in jail.”
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