WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance isn’t backing away from the false claims he and Donald Trump have been making that Haitians living in an Ohio community are abducting and eating pets. Vance and Trump are promoting the claims even Ohio’s Republican governor and other officials insist there’s no evidence of such behavior. Still, narrative has dominated the Trump’s campaign messaging over the past week. It’s also highlighting how some in the Republican Party are willing to embrace and amplify false claims as part of the inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric that Trump has promoted throughout his campaigns.
GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 14: Republican vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) speaks with media at the airport before he departs on September 14, 2024 in Greenville, North Carolina. Vance is joining Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump as he campaigns in key battleground states ahead of the November presidential election. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)