Trump, Vance promote baseless "eating pets" claim

The Republican presidential ticket has spent the week peddling a baseless conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, with former President Trump even bringing up the topic during Tuesday's debate.

State of play: Multiple city leaders in Springfield, about 45 minutes west of Columbus, say the rumors are false and that no such reports have been made to police, per the local News-Sun newspaper .

• When Trump referenced Springfield during the debate, ABC moderator David Muir pointed out the city manager told the outlet there was no credible report of any pets being killed.
• Vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) acknowledged on X the rumors could "turn out to be false," but encouraged supporters to "keep the cat memes flowing."

Elsewhere, the Arizona Republican Party has placed a dozen billboards around Phoenix spreading the story.

Catch up quick: The unfounded claims may have been linked to a post in a Springfield Facebook group that went viral, the News-Sun reports.

• The poster claimed their neighbor's daughter's friend lost her cat and later found it hanging from a branch at a Haitian neighbor's home, and also alleged "rangers" and "police" had told them ducks and geese had been taken.
• A photo of a man carrying what appears to be a goose carcass has also been falsely tied to the rumor.

Reality check: That picture was taken in Columbus by a local resident who shared it to Reddit in July.

• The photographer has since told Matter News they're angry their post was used to spread anti-immigrant hatred.

The last word: Springfield leaders and White House officials alike have condemned the targeted hate.

• "Could you imagine being talked about like this, and the entire group, the country you're from, you are being painted with this broad stroke, all of this rhetoric?" Mayor Rob Rue said at a news conference.

Sign up for Axios Columbus for free.