Donald Trump’s “cat and dog eating” claim supported by senior British politician

In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and enthusiastic Trump supporter, has thrown his weight behind Donald Trump’s latest outlandish claim. During a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain, Farage confidently asserted that there might be “some truth” to Trump’s bizarre statement about Haitian immigrants allegedly eating pet cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio. Yes, you read that right – Farage is even betting on the idea that Springfield’s furry friends are being served as dinner.

Trump, never one to shy away from conspiracy theories or a dubious claim, made this bold statement during a recent debate, as he crossed verbal swords with Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate aiming to prevent him reaching the White House once again. He warned that the immigrant population in Springfield had taken to abducting and eating local pets. Farage, when pressed on the matter, seemed unfazed by the lack of evidence. “Whenever Donald Trump makes a comment which is ridiculed, it always turns out to be true,” Farage said, doubling down on his defence of Trump’s rather meaty allegation. Maybe he forgot numerous examples to the contrary including light and bleach to conquer covid!

Where did Trump’s pet-eating claim even come from?

Trump’s claim, which has since been widely debunked by Springfield city officials, originally surfaced from the depths of social media – specifically, a now-deleted Facebook post. The rumour appeared on a local Springfield Facebook group, where one resident, Erika Lee, claimed to have heard the tale from a friend of a friend’s neighbour. Yes, it’s that convoluted. By the time it reached Trump’s debate stage, the rumour had morphed into a full-blown accusation.

Despite a thorough investigation, no evidence has been found to support the idea that Springfield’s pets are in any danger from the town’s Haitian population. In fact, one cat central to the original tale was later found safe and sound in its owner’s basement, completely unharmed, and blissfully unaware of its brief moment in the political spotlight.

Is there any truth behind Trump’s Springfield story?

Farage’s refusal to dismiss the claim during his television appearance raised a few eyebrows, especially as his political loyalty to Trump seemed to outweigh the facts. Host Richard Madeley asked Farage pointedly if backing such absurd allegations didn’t strain even his unwavering support for Trump. The recently appointed Member of Parliament in the UK, true to form, responded that Trump’s seemingly wild accusations often held a kernel of truth, leaving viewers to wonder if we’ve entered an era where every conspiracy theory gets a polite nod before it’s fact-checked.

Meanwhile, Springfield city officials have been working overtime to debunk the claim, with Mayor Rob Rue expressing frustration at the chaos the rumour has caused. In addition to a flurry of fact-checking, the town has faced security threats, including a bomb scare at city hall, which officials attribute to the false allegations and the tension they’ve stoked.

Trump fact-checking a tough job

Trump’s dramatic assertion that Springfield’s immigrants are turning the town’s pets into meals was a calculated move to stir up anti-immigration sentiment. During the debate, Trump’s rival, Harris, could hardly hide her disbelief as he painted a grim (and untrue) picture of the town. In typical fashion, Trump doubled down on the claim, despite co-moderator David Muir fact-checking him live on air and dismissing the allegation as entirely false.

But that’s what can happen once an unsubstantiated claim hits social media and is then embraced by far-right influencers. It felt to some that it was only a matter of time before Trump’s campaign team decided to weaponise it.

Why does Farage support Trump?

Farage’s loyalty to Trump has often defied logic. Shortly after his election as MP for Clacton, he flew across the pond to show his solidarity with the former president, even in the face of an assassination attempt on the former president. His steadfast allegiance continues, even when the claims he’s defending are about as credible as a dog learning to use chopsticks.

Also while doing the rounds on Thursday, Farage spoke with UK radio station LBC’s Nick Ferrari about the same topic.

“Whenever he [Trump] says something like this, that sounds absolutely crackers; in the end, there always proves to be some truth in it... I’ll have a tenner with you that within the next month or so, we find some evidence of it, what the scale of it is, I have no idea.”

While Trump’s assertions about pet-eating immigrants have been proven false by everyone from journalists to Springfield’s exasperated mayor, Farage seemingly remains undeterred. Whether this is simply loyalty, wishful thinking, or a savvy political calculation is anyone’s guess. What’s clear, however, is that as long as Trump has a platform, there will always be someone willing to bet on his more, let’s say, creative assertions.