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Presidential debate · 2024-09-10

Presidential Debate: Trump Repeats False Claims About Immigrants Eating Pets

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About this speech

During the televised debate with Kamala Harris, Trump claimed immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents' cats and dogs. The moderator cited Springfield's city manager, who said there were no credible reports supporting the allegations.

What stands out in this speech

The striking feature is that Trump repeated a sensational allegation on national television and, when confronted with the city's response, defended it by referring to what he had seen on television. This is a debate appearance, not a standalone speech.

The unsupported pet claim
“In Springfield, they're eating the dogs.”

Springfield officials said there were no credible reports supporting the allegation.

Transcript location: 00:29:13

The source of the allegation
“Well, I've seen people on television.”

Asked about the lack of evidence, Trump pointed to television accounts rather than verifiable incidents.

Transcript location: 00:30:23

Quoted excerpts are brief selections from the linked source transcript; explanations are editorial analysis, not quotations.

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