Trump vows mass evictions in Ohio town rocked by pet-eating lies

Donald Trump said he would mass deport migrants in a small Ohio town that has been rocked by baseless allegations that Haitians flocking there were eating pets and park animals.

“We’re going to start with Springfield,” Trump said Friday, adding that the city had been “destroyed” by immigration. He also mentioned a second Colorado city, which right-wing commentators have falsely accused of being run by a Venezuelan gang.

Springfield officials say the debunked accusation that pets were being eaten sent shockwaves through the community and led to violent threats that closed schools.

President Joe Biden called for calm Friday, calling criticism of Haitians in Springfield “simply wrong.”

“What he’s doing has to stop. This has to stop,” Biden said of Trump’s comments.

The Republican candidate’s promise comes after nearly a week of false claims that migrants killed pets and children in Springfield.

The animal-eating allegations, repeated by Trump during his debate with Kamala Harris on Tuesday, have been denied by Springfield’s police chief and mayor, as well as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

On Friday, three Springfield schools were evacuated due to bomb threats. At least one of the threats contained derogatory comments about Haitians, according to Springfield Mayor Bob Rue.

The move comes after city hall and several other buildings, as well as a school, were evacuated Thursday due to threats.

At a news conference at his golf course in Los Angeles on Friday, Trump was asked if he was considering a visit to the city.

“I can say this: We’re going to do mass deportations from Springfield, Ohio – mass deportations. We’re going to get these people out. We’re going to bring them back to Venezuela,” he said.

The Springfield migrants are primarily from Haiti and have legal residency in the United States under a federal program for Haitians.

It’s unclear why Trump mentioned Venezuela, but he has referenced an influx of Venezuelan migrants to Aurora, Colorado, throughout his speech and said deportations would begin there as well if he wins the November presidential election.

On Friday, Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted posted a photo of two migratory Canadian geese online. “Most Americans agree that these migrants should be deported,” he said.