Of the many ways Donald Trump manipulates the media, one is to say outrageous and outlandish things and then dare them to challenge him on it. Trump was having a bad week after his debate with Kamala Harris. He was even being criticized by many Republicans for his weak and disorganized debate performance. His response was to express indignation that he was fact checked in real time by the moderators about his unverified and prejudiced claim that illegal Haitian (read black) immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were eating dogs and cats they supposedly stole from their neighbors.
In the week since the debate, Trump and his running mate JD Vance have doubled down on their claims, even as they have been debunked by local police. In an interview with Dana Bash on CNN, Vance said he was willing to make up stories to manipulate the media into covering the things he says they are ignoring. This is just the latest example of the Trump pattern of hateful rhetoric and media manipulation.
The entire premise of the Trump/Vance claim is false because immigrants in Springfield are there legally. Springfield, Ohio, a post-industrial city west of Columbus, has experienced population drain for decades. A recent influx of legal immigrants, many from Haiti, has reversed this pattern. Their presence has helped to revitalize local industries. However, being new to the country, they need support to thrive in their new town. One resident at the August 13th meeting for the Springfield city commission acknowledged “growing pains” with new neighbors. Another stated, “Newcomers that I know are receptive to kindness and want to, in the best of their ability, help themselves.” The man continued, “Our community has been in a population decline for nearly 70 years. We need more and new people.”
None of this matters to Trump/Vance. Normal rules of truth telling and accountability do not apply to them. By repeating the same lies over and over they dehumanize immigrants and attempt to desensitize Americans who otherwise would be sympathetic to their struggle. If they succeed in dehumanizing immigrants it creates a permission structure to mistreat them and violate their rights. And with new presidential immunity, what can this lead to? Trump plans a “bloody” mass deportation on a scale our country has never seen, which would destroy families, damage the economy, and go against the fundamental principles of our country.
The vast majority of us are here because our ancestors once immigrated, risking everything for a new life. Many faced bigotry and abuse upon their arrival. We are their legacy. Trump/Vance ignore this part of the American story. New immigrants of non-European descent have come here hoping to scratch out their version of the American dream and are being treated as subhuman by the Trump/Vance campaign’s quest for power. Even after being repeatedly called out for their lies, Trump and Vance double down on their dehumanizing and hateful rhetoric, leading to hospitals in Springfield having to lock down and schools having to close because of bomb threats. They shift the blame of the chaos they created onto the immigrants, furthering their agenda and fanning the flames of their hatred.
Kamala Harris had it right at the debate when she said in her closing remarks that we need a president who focuses on the American people and does not put self-interest ahead of them. The past week has shown once again that Trump/Vance are dangerously incapable of making this most basic and decent commitment to the American people.