Donald Trump wanted to spend this week attacking one of Democratic rival Kamala Harris’ biggest political vulnerabilities. Instead, he spent most of the week falsely claiming that migrants are eating pets in a small town in Ohio and defending his embrace of a far-right agitator whose presence is causing concern among his allies.
Trump’s repeated parroting of unfounded social media rumors about Haitian migrants in Ohio eating pets stole headlines during a trip West, including stops in Arizona and Nevada, late this week. The promotion of the claims overshadowed a series of speeches aimed at the economy and blaming Harris for border security failures.
Trump, in a news conference in California on Friday, promised “large deportations” from Springfield, Ohio — the town that has become a political flashpoint as Republicans, including Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, spread false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets.
The city of Springfield notes on its website that approximately 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants live in Clark County, and that Haitian immigrants are there legally as part of a parole program that allows citizens and lawful residents to apply to have their family members from Haiti come to the United States.
He also pointed to a Venezuelan gang in Aurora, Colorado. Continuing to use dehumanizing language to describe undocumented immigrants, Trump said “nests of bad people” are being emptied into the United States.
“It’s like an invasion from within and we’re going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country. And we’re going to start with Springfield and Aurora.”
“The people of Ohio are scared,” he said. “It’s going to get worse. It’s going to get so bad. You know what we’re experiencing now is they’re just getting settled in.”
Trump reiterated the same themes later Friday at a rally in Las Vegas. “We are under invasion just like it was an army, except in many ways it’s more difficult because they don’t wear a uniform, you don’t know who the hell to go after,” he said.
Again bringing up both Springfield and Aurora, Trump continued, “I am your border president. From now on I want to be your border president.”
Republicans broadly believe that immigration and border security are a top political issue for the party – and one they can use to hammer Harris, who they have labeled U.S. President Joe Biden’s “border czar.” That label stems from Biden asking the U.S. vice president in 2021 to lead diplomacy with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to address the conditions that prompted their citizens to try to migrate to the United States.
However, during Tuesday’s debate, Trump’s attacks on Harris over immigration veered into the outrageous, as he falsely claimed that migrants are eating dogs and cats in Springfield.
Trump’s remarks were met with a sharp condemnation from Biden.
“It’s simply wrong. And there’s no place in America. This has to stop – what he’s doing – has to stop,” Biden said during a Black Excellence brunch hosted at the White House Friday.
The city hall in Springfield was forced to close due to a bomb threat on Thursday. Two elementary schools were evacuated Friday in Springfield “based on information received from the Springfield Police Division,” the Springfield City School District announced Friday.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue on Thursday night urged national candidates – a clear reference to Trump and Vance – to “pay attention to what their words are doing to cities like ours.”
“We need help, not hate,” Rue said.
Trump dismissed those concerns on Friday.
“No, no. The real threat is what’s happening at our border,” he said.
Even Pope Francis on Friday sharply criticized Trump over his position on immigration, while also lambasting Harris for her support for abortion rights.
“To send migrants away, to leave them wherever you want, to leave them … it’s something terrible, there is evil there. To send away a child from the womb of the mother is an assassination, because there is life. We must speak about these things clearly,” the pope said.
Vance, Trump’s running mate, argued that Trump’s comments ignited conversation about immigration – even as he acknowledged on X the flimsiness of the rumors that ignited the story.
On Tuesday, Vance posted, “It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.” But the veracity of the claims did not seem to be his top concern.
“Don’t let biased media shame you into not discussing this slow moving humanitarian crisis in a small Ohio town. We should talk about it every single day. Kamala Harris did this. And she’ll keep doing it unless we stop her,” he posted on X on Friday.
The claims of pets and animals being eaten in Ohio was not the only eyebrow raising moment from this week that has put the focus on the former U.S. president’s campaign.
Trump has been spending time with far-right agitator Laura Loomer, who has spread conspiracy theories about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack and shared racist comments on social media attacking Harris.
Several people close to the former U.S. president say Loomer has contributed to some of the unseemly conspiracy theories Trump has elevated since Harris replaced Biden on the ticket, a change that has left the GOP nominee increasingly unsettled by the political landscape he now faces.
Trump on Friday described Loomer as a “free spirit” and “supporter.”
“She’s a strong person. She’s got strong opinions, and I don’t know what she said, but that’s not up to me. She’s a supporter,” Trump said.
Democratic National Committee rapid response director Alex Floyd on Friday highlighted Trump’s relationship with Loomer and other controversial allies. He said those surrounding Trump are “as professional as you’d expect for a convicted fraudster.”
Trump and Harris were back on the campaign trail late this week after a Tuesday night debate that 63 per cent of viewers said Harris won over Trump’s 37 per cent, according to a CNN poll of debate watchers conducted by SSRS.
The former president’s trip West came as Harris campaigned in Pennsylvania – the largest battleground of the 2024 election, with 19 electoral college votes up for grabs.
Combined, the commonwealth has already seen US$175 million spent on television ads – more than US$93 million by Democrats and more than US$81 million by Republicans, according to AdImpact data. Another US$136 million, including nearly US$77 million by Democrats and US$59 million by Republicans, has been booked between Saturday and Election Day. That’s more than has been spent, or reserved, in any other state.
Harris needs strong turnout in Democratic strongholds such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but also to minimize Trump’s margins as much as possible in red parts of the state. Her visit Friday focused on two counties Trump won during both of his White House bids – Cambria and Luzerne.
“Ultimately, I feel very strongly that we have to earn every vote and that means spending time with folks in the community where they live. That’s why I’m here. We’re going to be spending a lot more time in Pennsylvania,” Harris told reporters at a bookstore in Johnstown on Friday.
CNN’s Kit Maher, Betsy Klein, Ebony Davis and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
The federal government introduced a number of measures related to housing on Tuesday, which include measures for homeowners wanting to add a secondary suite, taxing vacant land and building homes in place of underused federal properties.
An organization that ranks the best universities across the globe says its latest report shows a concerning trend that several of Canada’s institutions are slipping down its list.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
Hurricane Milton churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.
Andrew Garfield’s ability to so lovingly and poetically express his grief for his mother, Linda, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, offers a gift of connection, and, perhaps, catharsis, to anyone experiencing loss.
Amazon has just launched a new service in Canada where delivery drivers can drop packages off directly in garages for those who want to protect their parcels from being swiped by porch pirates.
Another beluga whale has died at Marineland and four years into a provincial probe, Ontario's solicitor general is saying little about the investigation's progress.
More than two weeks have passed since Hassan Ali walked out of a Toronto courtroom a free man, after prosecutors decided not to move forward with a first-degree murder trial against the local rapper.
On September 11, Madeleine Gervais was the victim of a theft in Ottawa's west end. It happened in the Loblaws parking lot in College Square, when she was approached by a man and a woman who insisted to help her load her groceries into her car.
A British Columbia provincial court judge says a Boston Bar man who shot a teacup Chihuahua named Bear claiming it was menacing his chickens was not justified in killing the animal.
As the war in Gaza escalates, Nabila Manna watches from her home with feelings of fear and helplessness. Her mother, siblings, and extended family are all in Gaza.
An organization that ranks the best universities across the globe says its latest report shows a concerning trend that several of Canada’s institutions are slipping down its list.
Hurricane Milton churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.
A large-scale Israeli operation in northern Gaza has killed and wounded dozens of people and threatens to shut down three hospitals over a year into the war with Hamas, Palestinian officials and residents said Wednesday.
A Turkish Airlines jetliner headed from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the pilot died on board, an airline spokesperson said.
Donald Trump is holding rallies on Wednesday in pivotal Pennsylvania while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris prepares for another visit to the West — even as Hurricane Milton menaces Florida and threatens to overshadow presidential campaigning.
Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank share their stories of what life is like amid settler violence in the area.
The FBI has arrested an Afghan man who officials say was inspired by the Islamic State and was plotting an Election Day attack targeting large crowds in the U.S., the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Nathalie Drouin, the prime minister's national security and intelligence adviser, is scheduled to appear today at a federal inquiry into foreign interference.
The federal government introduced a number of measures related to housing on Tuesday, which include measures for homeowners wanting to add a secondary suite, taxing vacant land and building homes in place of underused federal properties.
The minority Liberal government is not considering proroguing Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday, despite persisting uncertainty over who is willing to keep propping them up and procedural wrangling over a Conservative led-privilege debate.
COVID-19 could be a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as three years after an infection, a large new study suggests.
The Ontario Ministry of Health says four people have been sickened after consuming beef tongue believed to be contaminated with listeria.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, with 42,000 women dying every year from this cancer.
The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to three scientists for their breakthrough work predicting and even designing the structure of proteins, the building blocks of life.
The Brazilian Supreme Court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday authorized the restoration of social media platform X´s service in Brazil, over a month after its nationwide shutdown, according to a statement posted on the court's website.
Geoffrey Hinton, the British Canadian computer scientist whose machine learning discoveries have proved so profound he's known as the 'godfather of AI,' has won the Nobel Prize in physics.
Jenna Fischer is highlighting Breast Cancer Awareness Month by sharing that she is now 'cancer free' after she was diagnosed with the disease in October 2023.
Andrew Garfield’s ability to so lovingly and poetically express his grief for his mother, Linda, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, offers a gift of connection, and, perhaps, catharsis, to anyone experiencing loss.
Sum 41 lead singer Deryck Whibley alleges in his new memoir that he was pressured into a secret sexual relationship with his former manager, Treble Charger frontman Greig Nori.
A new report says condo inventory is on the rise in most major Canadian markets as more sellers are listing their properties in anticipation of growing demand from buyers.
Amazon has just launched a new service in Canada where delivery drivers can drop packages off directly in garages for those who want to protect their parcels from being swiped by porch pirates.
The U.S. Department of Justice is considering asking a federal judge to force Google to sell parts of its business in order to eliminate its online search monopoly.
An elevator mechanic mistakenly threw out a piece of artwork, made to look like empty beer cans, assuming it was litter, a Dutch museum revealed earlier this month.
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
A wildlife rescue in B.C. is caring for two orphaned bobcat kittens who have become as inseparable as 'real sisters' even though it's highly unlikely they are actually from the same litter.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning have left Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton to practice the rest of the week.
RJ Barrett will miss the rest of the Toronto Raptors' pre-season with an injury.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are being recalled in Canada due to a steering-related issue that could increase a driver's risk of crash.
Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and the provincial government to launch a new “incubator program”. One of the first three locations is Windsor, with the other two going to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.
The leaders of B.C.'s main political parties sparred over health care, housing, and affordability Tuesday, pitching competing visions for how to address the most urgent issues facing the province in a debate punctuated by a few feisty exchanges.
Some sparks flew during Tuesday night’s televised leaders’ debate between David Eby, John Rustad and Sonia Furstenau, as the trio had impassioned conversations about the issues that are on many British Columbians’ minds ahead of election night, including housing, health care, the cost of living and public safety.
An open letter signed by 23 doctors and one nurse practitioner in B.C.’s Lower Mainland highlights their concerns about the potential for cuts to the health-care system if John Rustad’s Conservatives form government after this month’s provincial election.
Amazon has just launched a new service in Canada where delivery drivers can drop packages off directly in garages for those who want to protect their parcels from being swiped by porch pirates.
Another beluga whale has died at Marineland and four years into a provincial probe, Ontario's solicitor general is saying little about the investigation's progress.
Four people have been transported to hospital following a collision near Toronto’s Forest Hill neighbourhood early Wednesday morning, paramedics say.
An Airdrie resident is facing several charges after police say they were caught in possession of several stolen vehicles.
Calgary police are searching for a suspect or suspects in a stabbing that occurred in the city's southeast on Tuesday evening.
An Alberta man has won an award in a prestigious international wildlife photography competition.
As thousands of Canadians are on the hunt for deals during Amazon Prime Day this week, cybersecurity experts are sounding the alarm over an increase in fraudsters posing as the company online.
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is asking the public for help in identifying a suspect involved with a mischief incident that happened last month in the neighbourhood of Sandy Hill.
Lower than normal temperatures and showers are in the forecast for Ottawa this Wednesday.
Quebec chicken chain St-Hubert is entering the 'value menu wars' by offering a series of cheaper options for lunch and freezing prices on its main courses.
The Quebec government is facing criticism for a program that paid students to learn a construction skill -- as less than half the graduates are certified to work in the industry.
The grind begins Wednesday for the Edmonton Oilers, but their head coach isn't trying to look too far ahead as the National Hockey League (NHL) team tries to reach the Stanley Cup Final as it did last season.
A cougar has been spotted within the city of Lloydminster, police are warning the public.
One of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s key advisers and the driving force behind the province’s recovery-focused addiction treatment policy is leaving the job.
International award-winning editorial cartoonist Michael de Adder has been cut from the Halifax Chronicle Herald.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
A labour investigator has agreed with federal fishery officers that heavily armed criminals pose a threat to their lives and has ordered managers to take steps immediately to reduce the danger.
Concerns are being raised over a questionable PC campaign expense, after an invoice for a car rental was submitted by a company advertising sex and intimacy coaching.
There’s a new starting line-up at Canada Life Centre, which hockey fans and concertgoers will notice as soon as they walk in.
Manitoba RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Service are launching Manitoba's Most Wanted website.
Erin Folk and her family are dealing with a nightmare of a situation, after their pet dogs were shot last week.
The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan (JHSS) appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada Tuesday challenging a regulation that it says lets provincial correctional workers discipline inmates without sufficient proof.
A memo from the Saskatchewan Government Employees Union (SGEU) has painted a picture of healthcare workers on the brink – with under-staffing and burnout directly impacting quality of patient care within the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA).
Fire crews were called to respond to Mohawk Plaza shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday.
The future of a hybrid shelter in Waterloo is up for discussion.
An app developed at the University of Guelph is aimed at making accessible doors more accessible.
The province’s consumer watchdog is investigating a Saskatoon company selling luxury vacation condos in Mexico.
In the wake of a near-fatal overdose at the doorstep of Saskatoon’s safe consumption site last week, the province’s political leaders are weighing in with their strategies to help those struggling with drug addiction.
A Saskatoon mom is desperately fighting eviction after she discovered mould in her suite and reported it to her landlord.
Plans are on track for the proposed events centre in downtown Sudbury, city council heard the latest update on the major project Tuesday night.
Highway 144 is reopened north of Sudbury after a two-vehicle collision between a commercial and passenger vehicle happened around 1 p.m. Tuesday, police say.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
Drivers and businesses along Wellington Street in London’s downtown area continue to feel the pain as the city works on the downtown loop for the bus rapid transit project (BRT).
City hall’s restoration of the People and the City monument has been stalled since early 2022, and a plan to resume the project next spring requires more money.
A person remains in serious condition in hospital after being shot during a gas station robbery.
A 20-year-old man who was behind the wheel of a speeding car that struck and killed an international student in Barrie last summer pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death on Tuesday but will not spend any time behind bars.
Funding for rural and Indigenous communities battling homelessness is on the horizon.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
In February, council voted to convert the property into new high-density housing — meaning the new development would have a minimum of 109 units.
Several cars are being pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor.
The leaders of B.C.'s main political parties sparred over health care, housing, and affordability Tuesday, pitching competing visions for how to address the most urgent issues facing the province in a debate punctuated by a few feisty exchanges.
Some sparks flew during Tuesday night’s televised leaders’ debate between David Eby, John Rustad and Sonia Furstenau, as the trio had impassioned conversations about the issues that are on many British Columbians’ minds ahead of election night, including housing, health care, the cost of living and public safety.
A retrial date has been set for a man accused of fatally shooting a rival gang member and an innocent teen passerby in Vancouver in 2018.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Charges have been laid against a 44-year-old man following a traffic stop in Brocket, Piikani Nation RCMP said Tuesday.
A metal fabrication company west of Medicine Hat has been fined by Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) following a workplace fatality in 2023.
A Lethbridge police officer involved in a scandal involving former Lethbridge New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips has been reprimanded.
A woman in Greater Sudbury, Ont., said "It doesn't get more Canadian than this" when she spotted a black bear dumpster diving at a Tim Hortons last month.
The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) is the latest organization to call on the Doug Ford government to re-open dialogue with an airline service that transports lower-income Canadians to crucial medical care far from home.
For decades, Mississauga First Nation has known that human remains from their land were at the Canadian Museum of History.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
