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Trump Is Falsely Insisting Migrants Eat Pets. House Republicans Are Defending the Debunked Claims.

Republicans acknowledge the story about Haitian migrants is baseless, but they’re doubling down anyway.

Donald Trump
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump insisted on debunked claims about Haitian migrants during the debate. Alex Brandon/AP

Donald Trump doubled down on a baseless story attacking Haitian immigrants on the debate stage on Tuesday.

ABC News debate moderator David Muir fact-checked the former president repeatedly, as Trump insisted that he had seen reports from “people on television” that family pets had been stolen by immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, for food, a claim that has been repeatedly debunked.

“ABC News did reach out to the city manager there,” Muir told Trump. “He told us there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”