White House National Security spokesman John Kirby denounced Tuesday as "dangerous" claims that Haitian immigrants are killing and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
The rumors emerged Monday and spread quickly via social media. Although it's unknown where the claims originated, the Springfield News-Sun reported it might be linked to a viral post in a city Facebook group.
In the post, a person said a friend of a neighbor lost her cat and later found it hanging from a branch near a Haitian neighbor's house. Its authenticity could not be confirmed.
Others speculated the story was conflated with an incident in Canton, Ohio, about 170 miles away, in which a woman allegedly killed and ate a cat in front of neighbors.
A spokesperson for the city of Springfield said it received "no specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community," the News-Sun reported.
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, Donald Trump's running mate, was criticized for amplifying the rumor after he posted on X on Monday, "Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio. 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?"
Several other high-profile accounts, including X owner Elon Musk and the House Judiciary Committee, joined the fray, posting memes depicting Trump as a savior for pets and wildlife.
On Tuesday, Vance seemed to walk back his post, writing, "In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who've said their neighbors' pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false."
The kerfuffle came after a series of videos were posted online from a recent Springfield City Council meeting in which residents described how an influx of about 20,000 migrants, mostly from Haiti, have negatively affected their quality of life.