Politics and Current
Haitian conspiracy sparks criminal complaint against Trump and Vance, racist post by Republicans
A conspiracy theory amplified by Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates Donald Trump and J.D. Vance continues to fuel the fireplace, leading to a racist web post, congressional outrage, and a criminal complaint filed on behalf of Haitian immigrants within the United States.
On Tuesday, the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a grassroots advocacy group working on behalf of Black and Haitian migrants and immigrants, filed criminal complaint against Trump and Vance. For weeks, Republican Party leaders repeated the false claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating their neighbors’ pets.
“It is imperative that we hold them accountable and bring them to justice so that they know that they cannot continue to terrorize an entire community,” said Joseph, who described the plot as “rooted in anti-Black racism and white supremacist ideology.”
The criminal complaint asked Springfield Municipal Court to issue arrest warrants for Trump and Vance for telling a false story about Haitians. It lists several Ohio statutes that the presidential and vice presidential candidates violated, including crimes corresponding to “making false alarms,” ”telecommunications harassment” and making “incriminating threats.”
In response to the complaint, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., made racist remarks post on X, formerly Twitter. The far-right MP called Haitians “gangsters” and described Haiti as “the nastiest country in the Western Hemisphere.”
Higgins also repeated the lie that Haitians “eat pets,” adding: “All these thugs better reconsider and get their asses out of our country before January 20.”
In response to Higgins’ racist post – which he ultimately deleted – US Republican Steven Horsford of Nevada, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, filed a motion within the US House of Representatives to censure the Louisiana congressman. Republicans within the House of Representatives, who hold the bulk, blocked its further development.
“We can only hope and pray that the disinformation and racist rhetoric spewed by former President Donald Trump, Senator J.D. Vance, Rep. Higgins and other right-wing MAGA extremists do not lead to violence in any Haitian or immigrant community,” she said . Horsford in an announcement.
“Every member of Congress must be clear that we must eliminate hate in all its forms. It is time to turn the page on this pattern of vilifying and villainizing immigrants for political purposes.”
“We commend them for standing up for what is right… he must be held accountable,” she said.
Jozef sharply criticized Higgins’ remarks as “despicable” and “vile,” but additionally called out Mark Krikorian, an adviser to Project 2025. At a congressional hearing last week, Krikorian struggled to defend his published article during which he argued that Haiti was “screwed up” because “wasn’t colonized long enough” by the French.
“We understand why they are targeting the Haitian community and we understand that our existence bothers them,” Joseph said. “We understand that they blame us for turning their white supremacist ideology upside down.”
When asked about Congressman Higgins’ position and the following battle within the House of Representatives to censure him, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized GOP leaders for “playing political tricks.”
“The baseless, baseless lies and conspiracy theories… are dangerous and false,” said Jean-Pierre, who’s of Haitian descent. A Biden spokesman said Haitian immigrants in Springfield are “there legally” and “helping the community economically.”
Jean-Pierre, for his part, said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “want to unite our communities.”
“That’s what you’ve seen over the last three and a half years,” she said. “We want to connect our communities, not tear them apart.”