While the town of Springfield, Ohio, experiences bomb threats as the result of a false racist rumor claiming that Haitian immigrants are capturing and eating people’s pets, ducks, and geese, Ohio’s lieutenant governor is making jokes.
Jon Husted thought it was fit to post a photo of two geese on X Friday with the caption : “Most Americans agree that these migrants should be deported.”
The post came after three schools in the town were shut down earlier in the day due to threats they received, and one day after several government facilities in the town had to be evacuated over bomb threats. The threats have drawn the ire of town leaders, such as Mayor Rob Rue , who said Thursday, “Unfortunately, right now we have to focus on making sure this rhetoric is dispelled, that these rumors are just—they’re just not true.
“You know, Springfield is a beautiful place, and your pets are safe in Springfield,” Rue added, laughing slightly at the absurdity of having to say such a thing.
The fake rumor has its origin in unproven social media posts and was egged on by the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe , whose members marched through the town and spoke at Town Council meetings. Right-wing politicians, including Trump and running mate J.D. Vance , have repeated it, giving it a wider audience and fueling the threats.