Vance kept up false claims about Haitian migrants after aide was told they were baseless

(WASHINGTON) — An aide to Ohio Sen. JD Vance was informed by a top Springfield, Ohio, official earlier this month that claims about Haitian migrants eating cats and dogs were false but the vice presidential nominee went ahead with spreading the rumor anyway, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal and confirmed by ABC News.

City manager Bryan Heck, in a Sept. 9 phone call, told a Vance staffer the “claims were baseless” when asked if they were true.

A city spokesperson confirmed to ABC News the accuracy of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting about the call.

Still, Vance did not delete a post on X he wrote that same morning asserting “reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.” One day later, former President Donald Trump amplified the claim on the ABC News presidential debate stage with millions of viewers tuned in.

The Vance campaign, in an effort to defend the vice presidential pick, provided the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday with a police report to try to substantiate his claims. But the woman in the report, Anna Kilgore, told the Journal she was mistaken.

ABC News spoke with Kilgore, who lives near downtown Springfield, on Wednesday afternoon. Kilgore said her cat Missy Sassy went missing and they believed their Haitian neighbors were to blame for the disappearance. After filing the police report, Kilgore’s cat returned home safely several days later.

She told ABC News that she apologized to her Haitian neighbors who have lived next door for the past year, and they were very gracious and there seemed to be no hard feelings.

ABC has requested the police report but has not independently obtained it.

When asked what led her to believe her neighbors were behind the cat’s disappearance, Kilgore said, “because of rumors I heard.” When pressed on where she heard those rumors she continued with, “on Facebook and TikTok.”

Kilgore is a Trump-Vance supporter with signs and flags outside of her home. She was also wearing a “Trump 2024” t-shirt while speaking to ABC News.

When asked what she would say to Vance and his campaign, she simply said, “I wish I could take it all back.”

ABC News also asked her if this situation would have any impact on her vote in November, to which she simply said, “No.”

ABC News has reached out to Vance’s campaign for a statement on the Wall Street Journal report but has not yet received a response.

Vance appeared on several talk shows on Sunday where he was pressed about the Springfield controversy, which has led to the community experiencing threats.

He largely defended bringing national attention to the issue of immigration in Springfield. The Ohio town did experience an influx of 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian immigrants who are legally authorized to live and work there, and as a result some city resources have been strained. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently announced measures to expand primary care access, allocate funds for translation services and more.

“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast,” Vance said on CNN.

CNN anchor Dana Bash followed up with Vance about what he said about having to “create stories,” and Vance responded: “It comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents. I say that we’re creating a story, meaning we’re creating the American media focusing on it.”

“I didn’t create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris’s policies. Her policies did that,” Vance added.

Harris on Tuesday said it was a “crying shame” what was happening to the Springfield community and criticized Trump and Vance for engaging in “that hateful rhetoric.”