Former President Donald Trump said at a rally Wednesday that he would travel “within the next two weeks” to Springfield, Ohio, the center of unsubstantiated claims about Haitian immigrants.
“I’m going to go there in the next two weeks. I’m going to Springfield and I’m going to Aurora” in Colorado, Trump said at a rally in Uniondale, New York.
Trump has made unsubstantiated claims that Haitian immigrants in a blockaded Ohio city eat pets, which have been repeatedly debunked. His running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance and allies of the flag have also been spreading the lie.
As for Aurora, Trump has repeatedly spread rumors about Venezuelans in the city that have been debunked.
Social media messages circulated online falsely claiming that a Venezuelan gang had taken over the residential complex, which local authorities denied. Trump has repeatedly invoked both Springfield and Aurora in his rallies.
“You may never see me again, but that’s okay. I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do,” Trump added. “‘What happened to Trump?’ “Well, he never got out of Springfield.”
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue, a Republican, said at a news conference Tuesday that Trump’s visit “would be an extreme strain on our resources.”
“So it would be fine with me if they decided not to make that visit,” he said.
NBC News has reported that Trump planned to visit Springfield “soon.”
As Trump, Vance and their allies repeatedly spread false claims about the city, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said at least 33 bomb threats have been made in Springfield. DeWine, a Republican, said some of them come from “one particular country,” which he declined to name.
The president of Springfield’s Haiti Community Support Center told NBC News that the conspiracy theory has Haitians “fearing for their lives.”
Trump has spread false claims about Haitian immigrants at his rallies and last week in a debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“In Springfield, they eat dogs,” Trump falsely said during the debate. “The people that came in are eating the cats. They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people who live there.”
Springfield officials said there are “no credible reports” to support the claim.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for more information about his travel plans.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
