Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says claim about migrants eating pets is a false 'piece of garbage'

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday denounced claims promoted by former President Donald Trump that Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio, calling them "hurtful" and "not helpful."

"There's a lot of garbage on the internet and this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true, there's no evidence of this at all," DeWine told ABC's "This Week." "These are positive influences on our community in Springfield and any comment about that otherwise I think is hurtful and is not helpful to the city of Springfield and the people of Springfield."

DeWine noted that there is no evidence of the claims spread by Trump, his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and others, adding that the mayor of Springfield and the city's police chief have both said there is no evidence of any truth to them.

Trump raised the rumors, which had surfaced on social media, in last week's presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Since then, there have been threats against the Haitian immigrants in the city.

The Ohio governor also added the influx of immigrants in Springfield has posed challenges to the city, including taking a toll on resources, but said the migrants have also contributed to the local community and economy.

"Springfield is a good city, they are good people, they are welcoming people. We have challenges everyday we are working on those challenges," DeWine said.

"What we know is that the Haitians in Springfield are legal, they came to Springfield to work Ohio is on the move and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in," DeWine said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says claims of migrants eating pets 'not true'