Key Takeaways:
– Donald Trump has spread a baseless claim about Haitian immigrants in Ohio, causing an increase in violent threats and widespread fear.
– The claim originated from the extremist group, Blood Tribe, and was amplified by Trump’s comments.
– Public reaction to these false claims has resulted in school evacuations and closures in Springfield.
– The claim was traced back to a community Facebook post by Erika Lee.
Following this week’s presidential debate, controversy has erupted over baseless claims made by Donald Trump about Haitian immigrants in Ohio. The contention kicked off a chain of events leading to a fear-stricken Springfield community, bomb threats, and subsequent evacuations of public schools and municipal buildings.
Backing Unveiled Claims
Despite no real evidence, the Republican presidential nominee, supported by figures like JD Vance and Elon Musk, used these unfounded claims about Haitians to rally his base and further demonize immigrants. Proclaiming, “We’re going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country,” Trump ignited a spark of fear and anticipation.
Behind Trump’s Unfounded Allegations
However, these claims didn’t originate from Trump but were amplified by him. At the heart of this conspiracy is the extremist group, Blood Tribe. The group’s leader, Christopher Pohlhaus, widely known as “Hammer” to his followers, glorified the spread of these false claims following the presidential debate.
Pohlhaus wrote on his Telegram channel, “The president is talking about it now,” suggesting a sense of accomplishment. The sentiment was echoed by other members of the group on the far-right social network, Gab, “This is what real power looks like.”
Stirring the Springfield Community
Evidence shows that local Facebook groups in Ohio began posting about claims of Haitian children chasing geese and ducks in late June. Over weeks, a conspiracy claiming these birds were disappearing and possibly being eaten by Haitian immigrants emerged. The Blood Tribe pounced on these rumors, promoting them on Gab and Telegram.
In a disturbing display on August 10, around a dozen masked Blood Tribe members marched in downtown Springfield. This “anti-Haitian Immigration march” set shockwaves through the community.
A Single Post Sparked Controversy
Moreover, NewsGuard, a media watchdog, traced the false claim echoed by Trump to a post from a Springfield resident, Erika Lee. In her post, Lee claimed her neighbor’s cat had gone missing, implicating her Haitian neighbors as suspects.
This post became one of the first published on the topic, circulating widely before its removal. “It just exploded into something I didn’t mean to happen,”Lee admitted in an interview. She insisted expressing her non-racist viewpoints, stating her mixed-race and LGBTQ background, and pointing out that her daughter is half Black.
Epilogue
Despite these attempts to clear the air, community unrest continues. The false claims perpetuated by Trump and his allies have stirred fear, discrimination, and violence in Springfield and around the nation, demonstrating the power and damage of unchecked rumors propagated on social media.