"They eat the dogs"

Town struggles with terror threats after Trump’s lies

The city of Springfield in Ohio has already received 33 bomb threats.

(Bild: AP/Charlie Neibergall)

A small town in the state of Ohio is currently struggling with the lies of presidential candidate Donald Trump. The US Republican claimed that migrants in Springfield were stealing and eating residents' pets. The effects are now being felt.

Following a conspiracy narrative spread by Donald Trump and the US Republicans during the election campaign about pet-eating migrants, there have already been dozens of bomb threats in the city.

"We've received at least 33 different bomb threats," said the governor of Ohio and Trump's party colleague, Mike DeWine, at a press conference in Springfield on Monday (local time). So far, however, no threat had materialized.

"Some" had come "from a particular country", DeWine continued, without giving further details. "We think this is another opportunity to mess with the United States, and they continue to do so," he said.

Trump railed about migrants in TV duel
Springfield has been in the headlines since representatives of the Republican Party shared false allegations about the theft and eating of pets in the small town by Haitian migrants on online networks, stoking fears of immigrants. Trump also spread the lie in the TV duel against his opponent Kamala Harris.

The White House warned that such rhetoric could endanger people on the ground. "This kind of disinformation is dangerous because there will be people who believe it no matter how ridiculous and stupid it is," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

DeWine said there is "evidence" to support Trump's claims:

Two schools had also been evacuated in Springfield on Monday, local media reported. According to the local ABC affiliate, there was also a threat against the statehouse in Ohio's capital Columbus, the seat of the state's House of Representatives and Senate. This threat contained "derogatory remarks about the Haitian population of Springfield", the report said.

It initially remained unclear whether this threat was also included in DeWine's most recent enumeration. "Our children deserve to be in school," the governor said at the press conference.

Police officers search schools for bombs
He also announced that 36 state highway patrol troopers would be posted throughout the city to provide additional security. The officers would search the schools every morning, said DeWine, who himself is a Republican but has repeatedly denied the rumors spread by his party.

Springfield has a population of around 58,000 and has seen an increase in immigrants from Haiti in recent years. A local newspaper estimated their number at 10,000 to 15,000. The Caribbean state of Haiti has been plagued by political chaos and gang violence for years, especially in the capital Port-au-Prince, which has driven many people to flee.