Top Haitian official denounces false claim, repeated by Trump, that immigrants are eating pets

NEW YORK (AP) — A strange moment in American politics paid a visit to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday, brought there by a top Haitian official.

Edgard Leblanc Fils, the president of Haiti’s transitional council, spoke to world leaders about gang violence in his country and bemoaned the large number of citizens fleeing the violence. Then he referenced false claims that Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs.

The debunked information found its international spotlight in the U.S. presidential debate earlier this month, in which former President Donald Trump repeated the claims that have circulated on the internet and been amplified by his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. The Republican ticket is criticizing the immigration policies of President Joe Biden’s administration, which are supported by Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.