Springfield, Ohio's own John Legend: 'Nobody's eating cats and dogs'
John Legend speaks out on Springfield, Ohio pet claims
Singer-songwriter John Legend, who was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, explained the Haitian migrant situation in his hometown after Donald Trump brought it up during Tuesday's presidential debate. "Nobody's eating cats. Nobody's eating dogs."
Singer-songwriter John Legend took to social media Thursday to pick apart Donald Trump’s false and widely debunked claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating domesticated pets and fowl.
Legend, who was born and raised in Springfield, urged his hometown to show "grace" to the roughly 15,000 immigrants who have arrived in the past few years – drawn by good jobs and the city’s relative affordability.
Springfield’s story of economic renewal and related "growing pains" has been thrust into the national conversation — and maliciously distorted by false rumors amplified by Trump, his running mate Sen. JD Vance and other Republicans.
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Officials said there have been no credible or detailed reports about the inflammatory pet-eating claims, and Vance acknowledged Tuesday it was possible "all of these rumors will turn out to be false." NewsGuard’s Reality Check found the source of the rumors to be a Facebook post from someone who admits they have not seen it firsthand.
Still, Trump doubled down and again alluded to the debunked claims at a campaign rally in Arizona Thursday.
"Nobody's eating cats. Nobody's eating dogs," Legend said in a video posted on his Instagram page. "The bottom line is these people came to Springfield because there were jobs for them and they were willing to work.
"They wanted to live the American dream, just like your German ancestors, your Irish ancestors, your Italian ancestors, your Jewish ancestors. Your Jamaican ancestors, your Polish ancestors - all these ancestors who moved to this country."
Legend pointed out the challenges of such a big influx of immigrants in the predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000. Some longtime residents have complained about newcomers taking jobs at factories, driving up housing costs, worsening traffic and straining city services.
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But Legend also addressed the hardships migrants face when they seek "opportunity for themselves and their families in the American dream."
"Maybe not speaking the language that everyone else spoke. Maybe not eating the same foods. Maybe having to adjust. Maybe having to integrate," Legend said.
"They will assimilate and integrate … but it takes time," he continued. "So I think all of us need to have the same kind of grace that we would want our ancestors to have when they moved here with our Haitian brothers and sisters … We all just want to live and flourish and raise our families in a healthy and safe environment."