Think that Trump’s false claim about pet-eating Haitians is hurting him? Think again!

MIAMI — It has been more than a week since Republican candidate Donald Trump repeated the false rumor that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating Americans’ pets, and the conventional wisdom is that he has hurt himself politically by telling such a racially-tinged lie. But perhaps it’s working for him.

The fact that both Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance have repeated the dog-and-cat-eating Haitians claim several times since the former president echoed it at the Sept. 10 presidential debate makes me think that they are spreading it purposely, even if they know it’s untrue.

Their fake news claims about Haitian immigrants helps them draw national attention on their dubious claim that America “is being destroyed” by undocumented immigrants. Now that inflation is going down and the U.S. stock market is at its record high, they need to keep the narrative of an immigrant invasion alive. It’s the biggest issue they have to campaign on.