Trump supporters believe false claims about Haitian immigrants, poll reveals

A recent YouGov poll revealed that nearly half of Donald Trump voters believe his false claim that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are consuming residents' pets. Despite being debunked by local officials and condemned by the White House, 52% of Trump supporters expressed belief in the claim, while 24% were uncertain. In contrast, 81% of Kamala Harris voters deemed the assertion definitely false. The Springfield city manager confirmed there were no credible reports of pets being harmed, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine labeled the conspiracy theory as 'a piece of garbage.' During a presidential debate, Trump reiterated the unfounded claim, even after being fact-checked live on-air. The White House Press Secretary emphasized the importance of relying on factual information, stating that the police department had debunked the hateful smear. The spread of these false claims has led to significant unrest in Springfield, with bomb threats targeting city hall and schools, explicitly using hateful language against immigrants. The situation escalated further, resulting in the evacuation of multiple schools and the transition of nearby college campuses to online classes. The YouGov poll also indicated that Trump voters are susceptible to other debunked claims, such as the belief that public schools are providing sex-change operations to students, with 28% affirming this as probably or definitely true. This incident highlights the impact of misinformation on community safety and social cohesion, as well as the challenges faced by public officials in addressing and countering false narratives that incite fear and division.