Springfield Mayor Rob Lew said a visit by former President Trump would be “extremely taxing” on the city following unfounded claims by the former president and vice presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), that Haitian immigrants were eating residents' pets.
“That would put an extreme strain on our resources, so I'm OK with them deciding not to make that visit,” the Republican mayor said at a news conference at City Hall Tuesday. NBC News reported..
The mayor's comments come a week after former President Trump falsely claimed Haitian immigrants in Springfield eat their pets during a presidential debate between himself and Vice President Harris. Trump's comments at the debate came after Vance posted about the subject on social platform X in a now-debunked post.
During the debate, ABC News moderator David Muir said there was no evidence that Trump's claims were true and that he had “checked with the mayor.”
Springfield city officials have also said the allegations are baseless, with Mayor Brian Heck telling The Hill that the false controversy is a “cover-up” of the city's real struggles to accommodate immigrants in its social services.
Since the false allegations, Associated Press More than 30 bomb threats had been made in the city, the Associated Press reported. State police were also dispatched to the school, according to the AP.
Springfield, a city of about 60,000, has seen roughly 15,000 Haitian immigrants arrive in recent years.Associated Press.
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
