Springfield, Ohio becomes meme central as Donald Trump’s debunked pet-eating claim fuels Simpsons parodies

During the debate on Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump made a controversial claim about undocumented Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. Trump stated that these immigrants were eating local pets, a claim quickly debunked by officials.

Trump emphasized his stance on immigration by saying, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” Vice President Kamala Harris reacted with visible confusion to Trump's statement, which had previously gained attention on social media through Trump's running mate JD Vance.

The claim went viral on X (formerly Twitter), where the phrase “They’re eating the dogs” trended and generated nearly 270,000 posts. Many users created humorous content, including setting the comment to music.











The fictional town of Springfield from The Simpsons also saw increased attention. Fans shared memes featuring characters like Homer and Bart Simpson, drawing a connection to Trump's comment.

Local officials in Springfield, Ohio, denied the claims. They reported no credible evidence of migrants consuming pets. The rumors had stemmed from an incident in Canton, Ohio, where a woman was arrested for killing and eating a cat.

Despite the serious nature of the claim, it led to a torrent of online humor. Some users turned Trump's remark into dramatic monologues or created “marked safe” designations on social media.