‘THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS’: Viral Trump debate line mocked by ‘Simpsons’ fans

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After Trump made his statement Tuesday night, ABC News’ David Muir, who co-moderated the debate alongside Linsey Davis, tried to correct the former president, saying they had reached out to a city manager in Springfield and were told there were no credible reports of pets being harmed. 

Still, Trump was defiant, saying: “People on television say, ‘My dog was taken and used for food,’ so maybe he said that and maybe that’s a good thing to say for a city manager.”

But the office of the Springfield city manager, Bryan Heck, issued a statement to the Associated Press dismissing the rumours.

“In response to recent rumours alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” Heck’s office said in an emailed statement.

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According to Newsweek, the allegation stems from a post on a private Facebook group in which a member said they knew someone who had witnessed their daughter’s friend’s cat “hanging from a branch, like you’d do a deer for butchering,” near a house where Haitians live in Springfield. They added that “they were carving it up to eat.”

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As the warning went viral, Vance lent credibility to the claims with his own social media post. “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?” Vance wrote.

Ted Cruz weighed in by sharing a photo of kittens to X, urging his followers to vote for Trump, “So Haitian immigrants don’t eat us.”

Meanwhile, Trump posted an image on his Truth Social account where he was seen surrounded by cats and geese. Another doctored photo showed armed cats wearing MAGA hats, while a third featured a kitty holding a sign that read, “Kamala Hates Me.”

And following the debate, Vance doubled down on the allegations, telling reporters: “We just actually heard a 911 call from a citizen in Springfield earlier today that some of the immigrants in Springfield were capturing geese at the local pond, slaughtering them and killing them.”

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When asked specifically about Trump’s mention of dogs, the Ohio senator said he didn’t “know what are the full spate of animals that are being consumed in Springfield.”

“But I know the geese are certainly among them. And we’ve heard reports from a number of constituents on the ground that they have had pets abducted by some of the immigrants there. We’re of course looking into this stuff,” Vance replied.

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