Sen. J. D. Vance's false claim that immigrants were caught eating Americans' pets spurred an epic eye roll from more news-savvy citizens who spotted the fake news and even a reluctant fact check from The Washington Post.
Philip Bump appeared baffled Monday when tasked with explaining why a spate of AI images depicting former President Donald Trump rescuing small animals suddenly had appeared on the internet.
"Trump was shown protecting ducks and kitty cats," wrote Bump. "This is a central reason that Vance and others on the right are susceptible to being described as 'weird.'"
Vance spread what the New Republic described as a "racist rumor" with little basis in fact: the claim that Haitian migrants who entered the country illegally were capturing and eating cats and ducks in Springfield, Ohio.
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"Right-wingers seemed to have conflated a report from Canton, Ohio, of a woman who was arrested for allegedly killing and eating a cat, with complaints from residents in Springfield more than 170 miles away from Canton," the report states.
"Meanwhile, police in Springfield, Ohio, say they have received no reports of pets being stolen and eaten."
Bump also notes that Haitian residents of Springfield are not there illegally, as the city’s website explains.
This didn't stop Republicans such as Rep. Mike Collins from echoing the claim and the House GOP Judiciary from sharing an AI photo of Trump appearing torn as to whether he should kiss a duck or a kitten in a pond.
The latter prompted documentary filmmaker Lauren Windsor to quip, "Is RFK Jr on the loose there?"
Jon Schwartz, former columnist for the Intercept, offered a satirical suggestion for the next conspiracy theory the Trump-Vance campaign should spread.
"The right should combine its two best urban legends, and start saying Haitians immigrants in Ohio are eating *children who identify as cats* — and have been nabbing them when the kids are using their litter boxes at public school," Schwartz wrote.
"[Podcaster Joe] Rogan will start talking about that for sure."
Gary Peterson, an artist who trolls MAGA by pretending to be a patriotic member of the political party, shared his own artificial image of the Republican nominee.
"While wokesters want to eat our animals, President Trump will not only build a new Ark of the Covenant, but will make the zoos pay for it," Peterson wrote. "Just as Noah did when he freed our pets from Egypt."
While wokesters want to eat our animals, President Trump will not only build a new Ark of the Covenant, but will make the zoos pay for it, just as Noah did when he freed our pets from Egypt. pic.twitter.com/BrX1qBcqlc
— Gary Peterson 🇺🇸 (@GaryPetersonUSA) September 9, 2024