Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Wednesday did his bit to amplify a conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants legally present in Springfield, Ohio are stealing and eating pets, ducks and geese.
The conspiracy has been debunked by the Springfield mayor , city manager and chief of police , as well as by Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine . Yost is looking to succeed DeWine as governor in 2026.
“Citizens testified to City Council,” Yost posted on X Wednesday . “These people would be competent witnesses in court. Why does the media find a carefully worded City Hall press release better evidence?”
Many of Springfield’s public buildings were closed for much of the day Thursday due to bomb threats after former President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated a widely debunked conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants were stealing people’s pets and eating them .
“ They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there ,” he said during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.