COURIER || Fox News Watch: Pet eating, Trump, and what it says about the MAGA echo-chamber

 

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In a debate filled with bizarre moments, Donald Trump’s baseless and outrageous claim that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were eating pets has garnered the most attention.

We’ll talk more about how this claim found its way to Trump and what it says about the MAGA online echo chamber in a moment, but if you’re ready to support COURIER’s mission to stop misinformation like this in its tracks, can you chip in $5.00 now?

Over the weekend, rumors began spreading on social media that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were kidnapping and eating pets. The claims were based on a series of posts, including a fourth-hand story posted in a local crime Facebook group.

By Tuesday, both the city manager and police department in Springfield issued statements debunking the claims. But it was too late. 

In the hours before the debate, right-wing influencers continued to spread the false story. AI images of Donald Trump saving puppies and kittens started to fly around Facebook and X.

One of those right-wing influencers was Trump’s running mate JD Vance, who posted about the rumor on X. Then, Trump mentioned it during the debate against Vice President Harris, and millions of Americans were left confused/horrified/dumbfounded that someone running for President would say something so strange.

It’s easy to laugh at Trump, but conspiracies like this one are based in storied racist stereotypes about immigrants, and they’ve long caused vitriol and violence against immigrant communities. 

They also influence election results. According to a recent Stanford study, right-wing attitudes toward immigrants are becoming more vitriolic. True or not, Trump knows these sorts of disgusting conspiracy theories are certain to rile up his base. 

Here at COURIER, we have a research-backed method to stop this dangerous cycle of misinformation. We meet people where they’re most likely to encounter these stories – on social media platforms like X and Facebook – and spread high quality, trustworthy reporting. We inoculate against bad information with good information to counter the division and hatred that is tearing apart so many of our communities. 

But we can’t do it without your help. Our battleground newsrooms rely on your donations to keep the presses running. Can you chip in $5.00 now to help us out?

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