Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Woman Whose Police Report Fueled Pet-Eating Conspiracy Later Found Her Cat In Her Basement

Donald Trump; Miss Sassy, a cat owned by Anna Kilgore
Scott Olson/Getty Images; Anna Kilgore

According to the 'Wall Street Journal,' Trump-loving Springfield, Ohio, resident Anna Kilgore, who initially sparked a rumor that her Haitian neighbors had eaten her cat, actually found her cat days later in her own basement.

Trump supporter Anna Kilgore, a woman whose police report initially sparked a rumor that her Haitian neighbors had eaten her cat, actually found her cat days later in her own basement after she'd already spoken to the authorities.

Republicans have spread hateful rumors about Haitian immigrants "eating cats" after former President Donald Trump promoted the unfounded allegation that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were consuming household pets in response to a question about immigration:


"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, and this is what's happening in our country, and it's a shame."

Moderator David Muir swiftly corrected Trump when he repeated the debunked claim that gained traction online after right-wing social media accounts spread the unfounded story, despite no actual evidence supporting it. Muir pointed out that officials in Springfield, Ohio, including the city manager, confirmed no such incidents of cat-eating had occurred.

Trump's running mate J.D. Vance used the moment to spread the false story across social media, just after the Trump campaign released a statement titled “Kamala Migrants Ravage Ohio City — And It’s Coming to Your City Next,” which falsely claimed that “20,000 Haitian migrants were dumped in the city.”

Vance later conceded the possibility that “all of these rumors will turn out to be false" but nonetheless urged "fellow patriots" not to let "the crybabies in the media dissuade you."

When The Wall Street Journal looked into Vance's claims, a spokesperson shared a police report in which a resident suggested her pet may have been taken by her Haitian neighbors.

However, when a reporter visited Kilgore’s home on Tuesday evening, she clarified that her missing cat, Miss Sassy, had actually been found safe in her basement a few days after disappearing in late August. Kilgore, who was wearing Trump merchandise, explained that she had apologized to her Haitian neighbors using her daughter's help and a translation app on her phone.


Miss Sassy, a cat owned by Anna KilgoreAnna Kilgore

Trump's lie and Vance's insistence on manufacturing left-wing extremist narratives has had dire effects on the Haitian community in Springfield.

Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine announced at a Monday news conference that the Ohio State Highway Patrol would be deployed to monitor schools in Springfield following 33 bomb threats made since late last week.

On Monday, two colleges switched to virtual learning, and two elementary schools were evacuated due to separate threats. So far, none of the threats has been found to be credible, DeWine said.

Beginning yesterday, 36 state troopers from the mobile field force are stationed at all 17 school buildings in the Springfield City School District. The troopers will sweep the buildings before classes begin and stay on campus to ensure security throughout the school day and after dismissal.

Given everything that's happened since, many reacted angrily after it was revealed Kilgore had found her cat after all.





Springfield resident Erika Lee, whose Facebook post alleging that Haitian immigrants were eating pets propelled the GOP conspiracy, now claims that she "didn't mean" for the claim to "explode" like it did.

Newsguard, a media watchdog that tracks online misinformation, discovered that Lee was one of the first to post about the rumor on social media, with screenshots of her post spreading across the internet. According to NewsGuard, Lee's neighbor, Kimberly Newton, said she learned about the incident from a third party.

Lee, in an interview with NBC News, now claims she never intended to spark a national controversy, saying that her daughter is half Black and she herself is mixed race and LGBTQ+:

“It just exploded into something I didn’t mean to happen. ... I’m not a racist, Everybody seems to be turning it into that, and that was not my intent.”
“I feel for the Haitian community. If I was in the Haitians’ position, I’d be terrified, too, worried that somebody’s going to come after me because they think I’m hurting something that they love and that, again, that’s not what I was trying to do.”

Lee acknowledged that Springfield faces genuine challenges due to its rapid population growth, which has overwhelmed the struggling city. Over the past five years, the arrival of many Haitian residents, many of whom have protected status under federal law, has left Springfield unprepared to meet the increased demand for housing, healthcare, and other essential services.

She said:

“I didn’t think it would ever get past Springfield."

Sadly, it did.

Meanwhile, an unrepentant Vance spent time during a recent interview justifying the use of fabricated facts to fit this narrative, telling CNN’s Dana Bash, “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m gonna do,” accusing the media of allowing Harris to "coast" through the election without scrutiny.

More from News/2024-election

Donald Trump
DRM News/YouTube

Trump Ripped After Going Off On Bonkers Rant About Room's Decor During Cabinet Meeting

During Tuesday's cabinet meeting while the press was in attendance, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump gave a rambling stream of consciousness speech that went all over the place before landing on paint versus gold leaf, leading people to again question the POTUS' mental acuity amid a notable cognitive decline.

In a disjointed monologue about the decor in the cabinet room, Trump said he stole a grandfather clock from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office and chose a painting of James Polk because the frame matched the frame around his favorite President—Andrew Jackson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Eric Adams
@ericadamsfornyc/Instagram

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Roasted After Viewers Notice Awkward Detail In His 'Morning Routine' Video

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was widely mocked after he shared a video on social media of his "morning routine," with time stamps showing his activities—only for viewers to notice that a standard black-and-white wall clock visible in part of the video showed a very different time.

Adams jumped on the latest Instagram trend this week, sharing his version of a “morning routine” video with his followers. The trend, which has already begun to fade, typically features sped-up clips of people going through their early rituals—complete with edits, ambient music, and timestamp overlays.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barack Obama; Donald Trump
Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage/Getty Images; Win McNamee/Getty Images

Obama Asks What 'If I Had Done What Trump Is Doing' In Epic Resurfaced Clip

Every day seems to bring a new outrageous act by the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump.

Perhaps that's why the words of the man whose biggest scandal during his presidency was a tan suit keep going viral after he originally said them. Former Democratic President Barack Obama spoke at Hamilton College on April 3, 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pedro Pascal
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Pedro Pascal Goes To Bat For Trans People Once Again At 'Fantastic Four' Premiere

When it comes to Pedro Pascal, we made the right person famous.

During the Berlin red carpet premiere of Pascal's latest film, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Pedro Pascal advocated once again for transgender people and transgender rights, citing their community as inspiring.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cal Raleigh
Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Yankees announcers react to player's NSFW nickname!

During a game against the Mariners on Tuesday night, Yankees fans found out why Seattle star Cal Raleigh is nicknamed “Big Dumper.”

The moment was caught on YES Network’s broadcast of the game in the sixth inning while Raleigh was on first base with the Yankees leading 10-3.

Keep ReadingShow less