During the presidential debate on Tuesday, a pivotal moment arose when Vice President Kamala Harris effectively threw former President Donald Trump off balance by making fun of the campaign rallies that feed his enormous yet fragile ego.

In response, Trump quickly shifted to the latest viral absurdity circulating on social media – alleging that immigrants are kidnapping and consuming pets in Springfield, Ohio – in a frantic and unsuccessful attempt to regain control of the discussion.

It was irrelevant that the assertion was proven false. Trump thrives on creating conflict, and he needed that atmosphere as he began to lose grip on the debate. He attempts to deceive the American public into believing that venturing outside – or simply walking their dogs – poses a constant threat.

Harris could only chuckle at his antics, indicating, “talk about extreme,” and shrugged it off. For Trump, this is a significant failure, but not the only one. He now appears unable to distinguish between the chaos of social media and reality.

His supporters, including running mate JD Vance, are left with no choice but to comply. This resulted in Sen. Vance appearing foolish on Tuesday as he struggle to balance the outrageous pet claims about Springfield.

The origins of the false narrative about Haitian immigrants

Springfield, a city of roughly 59,000 located about 40 miles west of Columbus, has seen an influx of 15,000 Haitian immigrants since 2020. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, indicated on Tuesday that the new residents are generally diligent workers and sent law enforcement assistance to manage local traffic and healthcare needs.

The wildly incorrect claims regarding local pets gained traction on Friday following a post on the social media platform previously known as Twitter, which shared an unverified allegation from Facebook, citing a “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” about a pet being kidnapped and eaten.

Say that quoted part out loud – a neighbor’s daughter’s friend – and question its reliability and whether it sounds plausible or resembles the classic game of telephone, where misinformation circulates without any evidence.

“They’re devouring the dogs,” Trump declared roughly 30 minutes into the 90-minute debate. “The newcomers are eating the cats. They’re consuming  the pets of the residents there.”

This absurd claim has been floated by some during Springfield City Commission meetings. Anyone who has spent considerable time in municipal government meetings knows that the public discourse often resembles a live-action version of the worst sections of the internet’s comment threads.

Mixing a child’s death with Republican fabrications

An actual issue of community concern revolves around Aiden Clark, an 11-year-old boy who lost his life in a 2023 incident when a minivan, driven by a Haitian immigrant, collided with a school bus. The immigrant, who was legally residing in the U.S., was sentenced to prison for the incident. This tragedy has unfortunately fueled the ridiculous concerns about pet abductions.

Aiden’s father, Nathan Clark, has expressed that his family’s tragedy has been exploited by Trump and his supporters who are using his son’s death “for political purposes.”

Speaking at a Springfield government meeting on Tuesday before the debate, Clark criticized Trump, Vance, and other politicians for spreading “false claims about pets being harmed and eaten by locals.”

“This has to stop,” Clark stated in a video that became widely shared on social media. “Did you know one of the worst feelings is failing to protect your child? Even worse, we can’t even safeguard his legacy now that he’s gone. Please end the hate.”

Local officials have stated they could not confirm a report received on August 26 about Haitians allegedly carrying geese around town. Both the city manager and local law enforcement have indicated there is no proof that any local pets have been consumed.

Out of respect for their son, the desires of the Clark family deserve to be honored. The local authorities who looked into the situation should be trusted when they say no evidence exists.

However, the unfortunate reality is that Trump and Vance seem unconcerned with these facts. They are merely attempting to gain political advantage, regardless of the truth.

A Republican presidential candidate makes a claim on national TV

During the debate, this was evident. ABC News, with an audience exceeding 67 million viewers, had an obligation to fact-check Trump’s ridiculous statements. Moderator David Muir informed Trump that the Springfield city manager had communicated to ABC News that there were “no credible reports” to support the claims.

Trump weakly argued twice that he had seen “people on television” making the claims. A former president introduced this absurdity on the debate stage, and that’s the best defense he could muster when challenged? It’s quite disappointing.

In the debate, Trump aimed to define Harris and portray her as a risky choice for the presidency in front of undecided voters. There were real chances to discuss their differing governance styles. However, she mocked him, and instead, he resorted to repeating the most outrageous thing he had recently seen online.

Trump often frames himself as a victim whenever things don’t go his way. This brings out the usual outcry from the Republican nominee, his campaign, and MAGA allies like Fox News about fact-checking being the latest injustice against Trump.

Republicans emphasized this in Arizona by displaying digital billboards declaring, “eat less kittens – vote Republican.”

No one ultimately embarrassed themselves more than Vance, who is supposed to represent everyone in Springfield as a senator from Ohio. Initially, he promoted the unfounded claim on social media on Monday, then attempted to walk it back the following morning, acknowledging it might not be accurate.

Later, in the “spin room” after the debate, Vance claimed that Springfield officials mentioned they didn’t have all the evidence. However, when confronted with the complete lack of evidence, he shifted the blame to the news media, which had already thoroughly investigated the allegations.

The GOP vice presidential nominee demonstrated what is characteristic of the Trump campaign: facts do not matter when it comes to propagating a divisive narrative, especially one accompanied by a cat meme.

After all, Trump saw it on television, so it must be true, right?

Stay updated with YSL News’ elections columnist Chris Brennan on X, previously Twitter: @ByChrisBrennan.