"Immigrants Eat Pets," Trump Says, Bomb Threat in Small US Town

A small Midwestern town is suffering from bomb threats due to false claims by former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that "immigrants eat pets."

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump / Photo by Yonhap News

The British daily The Guardian reported on the 14th (local time), citing local police, that two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio, were temporarily closed due to bomb threats.

One of the hospitals is Kettering Health Springfield, where no suspicious items were found during a search after the closure. The other hospital is Mercy Health's Springfield Regional Medical Center. A Mercy Health spokesperson said the hospital continues to operate and expressed gratitude for the prompt response of local police and the hospital.

Recently, bomb threats have been occurring repeatedly in Springfield following former President Trump's remarks. There have already been four incidents, and on the 12th, the city hall was closed and schools were evacuated.

Former President Trump sparked controversy by mentioning a conspiracy theory during the first TV debate against Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris on the 10th, claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield eat pets such as dogs and cats. Springfield, with a population of 58,000, has seen an influx of about 15,000 Haitian immigrants over the past three years.

The Springfield Police said in a statement, "We know that everyone in the community has been especially struggling over the past few days," and "We are doing our best to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone."

Rob Lu, mayor of Springfield, earlier refuted former President Trump's claims on the 12th, saying, "This is not true." The next day, President Joe Biden urged former President Trump to stop, saying, "It is wrong for proud Haitian Americans to be attacked in the United States."