Ohio Gov. DeWine knocks down false rumors about Haitian immigrants eating pets

Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine weighed in on the false claims promoted by the Trump campaign that Haitian migrants in Ohio are killing and eating family pets.

Asked about the false claims during an interview with CBS on Wednesday DeWine said: “This is something that came up on the internet, and the internet can be quite crazy sometimes.”

“Mayor (Rob) Rue of Springfield says no, there’s no truth in that. They have no evidence of that at all. So, I think we go with what the mayor says. He knows his city, ” DeWine said.

Former President Donald Trump repeated the false claim during Tuesday’s debate that had been amplified this week by right-wing media figures and echoed by Republican leaders.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump said. “The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country and it’s a shame.”

In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson for the City of Springfield said: “There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

As soon as Donald Trump exited the debate stage in Philadelphia Tuesday night, he immediately began quizzing those waiting in his viewing room about how the last 90 minutes had gone. While several praised him to his face, telling him he did a “great job,” that’s not what many of them are saying privately.

Instead, those around Trump have described what happened on stage as a draw at best and a loss at worst. Several of them told CNN they were stunned that the former president failed to do a better job executing on the talking points he had prepared against Vice President Harris, her record and her policy reversals.

Trump had done more debate prep ahead of his first meeting with Harris than he did for his debate with President Biden earlier this summer, two people told CNN. Yet Trump didn’t make one of his central arguments against Harris — about why she hasn’t carried out the promises she’s making now in the last 3.5 years in office — until his closing argument, surprising many of them who have heard him make the argument in private and on the campaign trail.

Instead, one person conceded, Trump took the bait every single time Harris offered it.

While multiple Trump allies described what happened Tuesday night as a “missed opportunity,” they have since started downplaying the debate’s overall significance, arguing it won’t shift his numbers with voters in states like Pennsylvania.

Trump himself was noncommittal about a second debate Wednesday morning, though almost every ally of his who CNN spoke with said they believe he will ultimately agree to one.

As soon as Donald Trump exited the debate stage in Philadelphia Tuesday night, he immediately began quizzing those waiting in his viewing room about how the last 90 minutes had gone. While several praised him to his face, telling him he did a “great job,” that’s not what many of them are saying privately.

Instead, those around Trump have described what happened on stage as a draw at best and a loss at worst. Several of them told CNN they were stunned that the former president failed to do a better job executing on the talking points he had prepared against Vice President Harris, her record and her policy reversals.

Trump had done more debate prep ahead of his first meeting with Harris than he did for his debate with President Biden earlier this summer, two people told CNN. Yet Trump didn’t make one of his central arguments against Harris — about why she hasn’t carried out the promises she’s making now in the last 3.5 years in office — until his closing argument, surprising many of them who have heard him make the argument in private and on the campaign trail.

Instead, one person conceded, Trump took the bait every single time Harris offered it.

While multiple Trump allies described what happened Tuesday night as a “missed opportunity,” they have since started downplaying the debate’s overall significance, arguing it won’t shift his numbers with voters in states like Pennsylvania.

Trump himself was noncommittal about a second debate Wednesday morning, though almost every ally of his who CNN spoke with said they believe he will ultimately agree to one.

As soon as Donald Trump exited the debate stage in Philadelphia Tuesday night, he immediately began quizzing those waiting in his viewing room about how the last 90 minutes had gone. While several praised him to his face, telling him he did a “great job,” that’s not what many of them are saying privately.

Instead, those around Trump have described what happened on stage as a draw at best and a loss at worst. Several of them told CNN they were stunned that the former president failed to do a better job executing on the talking points he had prepared against Vice President Harris, her record and her policy reversals.

Trump had done more debate prep ahead of his first meeting with Harris than he did for his debate with President Biden earlier this summer, two people told CNN. Yet Trump didn’t make one of his central arguments against Harris — about why she hasn’t carried out the promises she’s making now in the last 3.5 years in office — until his closing argument, surprising many of them who have heard him make the argument in private and on the campaign trail.

Instead, one person conceded, Trump took the bait every single time Harris offered it.

While multiple Trump allies described what happened Tuesday night as a “missed opportunity,” they have since started downplaying the debate’s overall significance, arguing it won’t shift his numbers with voters in states like Pennsylvania.

Trump himself was noncommittal about a second debate Wednesday morning, though almost every ally of his who CNN spoke with said they believe he will ultimately agree to one.

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9 min ago
Ohio Gov. DeWine knocks down false rumors about Haitian immigrants eating pets
From CNN’s Rashard Rose
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine appears on CBS News on Wednesday, September 11.
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine appears on CBS News on Wednesday, September 11. From CBS News
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine weighed in on the false claims promoted by the Trump campaign that Haitian migrants in Ohio are killing and eating family pets.

Asked about the false claims during an interview with CBS on Wednesday DeWine said: “This is something that came up on the internet, and the internet can be quite crazy sometimes.”

“Mayor (Rob) Rue of Springfield says no, there’s no truth in that. They have no evidence of that at all. So, I think we go with what the mayor says. He knows his city, ” DeWine said.

Former President Donald Trump repeated the false claim during Tuesday’s debate that had been amplified this week by right-wing media figures and echoed by Republican leaders.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs,” Trump said. “The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country and it’s a shame.”

In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson for the City of Springfield said: “There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

12 min ago
Trump allies view his debate performance as a wash at best, a loss at worst
From CNN’s Kaitlan Collins
Former President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media in the spin room following the debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, September 10.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media in the spin room following the debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, September 10. Hannah Beier/Bloomberg/Getty Images
As soon as Donald Trump exited the debate stage in Philadelphia Tuesday night, he immediately began quizzing those waiting in his viewing room about how the last 90 minutes had gone. While several praised him to his face, telling him he did a “great job,” that’s not what many of them are saying privately.

Instead, those around Trump have described what happened on stage as a draw at best and a loss at worst. Several of them told CNN they were stunned that the former president failed to do a better job executing on the talking points he had prepared against Vice President Harris, her record and her policy reversals.

Trump had done more debate prep ahead of his first meeting with Harris than he did for his debate with President Biden earlier this summer, two people told CNN. Yet Trump didn’t make one of his central arguments against Harris — about why she hasn’t carried out the promises she’s making now in the last 3.5 years in office — until his closing argument, surprising many of them who have heard him make the argument in private and on the campaign trail.

Instead, one person conceded, Trump took the bait every single time Harris offered it.

While multiple Trump allies described what happened Tuesday night as a “missed opportunity,” they have since started downplaying the debate’s overall significance, arguing it won’t shift his numbers with voters in states like Pennsylvania.

Trump himself was noncommittal about a second debate Wednesday morning, though almost every ally of his who CNN spoke with said they believe he will ultimately agree to one.

16 min ago
RFK Jr. says Trump won “on substance” but Harris “clearly won the debate in terms of her delivery”
From CNN’s Aaron Pellish
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged in a Fox News interview Wednesday that while he believed former President Donald Trump won the debate, Harris “clearly won the debate in terms of her delivery, her polish, her organization and her preparation.”

Kennedy predicted the debate may cost Trump support in upcoming polls.

“I think on substance, President Trump wins in terms of his governance,” Kennedy said. “But he didn’t tell that story.”

Kennedy, who dropped out of the presidential race last month and endorsed Trump, highlighted the exchange on economic policy as “an extraordinary lost opportunity” by the Republican nominee, arguing Trump should have emphasized more strongly the consequences of rising inflation but instead became “distracted.”

“He got distracted, and I think it’s unfortunate because he, you know, I think he really had an airtight argument for his presidency, but he was not able to make that case to the American public,” he said.

Kennedy predicted Trump will see a dip in support in post-debate polling, particularly among independent voters. He also undercut Trump’s claim that rapid reaction polls on the debate universally show he won the debate.

“Polling over the next week is going to show, you know, probably a slight drop in his support, particularly among independents,” he continued.

When asked if he had any reservations about endorsing Trump, Kennedy said he still believes Trump is the better candidate on policy.

“I was listening to the substance, and on the substance, President Trump wins,” he said.