3 Controversial Statements by JD Vance and Why They Matter (2 of 3)

Claiming that Immigrants From Haiti Were “Eating Pets”

In September 2024, the media was in a frenzy after Vance made a startling claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were both depleting local resources and “eating pets” in the local area. The brash and wild comment immediately went viral, sparking mass condemnation and outrage. Journalists and local authorities both debunked the claims and confirmed that there was no actual evidence to substantiate the claims.

Instead of retracting his statements, he doubled down, telling the general public to “keep the cat memes coming.” One reason this statement and stance after making it is so impactful that it represents a shift in political strategy that focuses and benefits from shock value and cultural insensitivity, instead of focusing on policy and, at the very least, factual information. What is even more interesting about antics like this was that Vance showed very little care for how this negatively impacted vulnerable populations like Haitian immigrants and was able to walk away from it with no true repercussions or longstanding damage to his reputation or political ascent.