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Social Media And Its Trivialization Of The Spread Of Misinformation During The 2024 Election

Francesca McCaffrey
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pace chapter.

Are the residents of Springfield, Ohio really eating cats and dogs? Many Americans found themselves asking this question after Donald Trump’s comments during the Sept.10 debate with fellow presidential nominee Kamala Harris. 

Trump stated,“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating – 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.” In the days following Trump’s controversial response to the question about immigration, the Springfield police department put out a statement calling the spread of disinformation “disheartening,” and affirmed that there are no credible reports of any person eating pets. So, if there are no reports of anyone eating pets, then where did this rumor start?

On Sept. 9, Republican Vice Presidential nominee Senator JD Vance made a post to his X account, writing “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.” Only after this posting, according to The Wall Street Journal, did a Vance staff member called Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck to ask if the rumors of immigrants eating pets were true. Heck said, “I told him no. There was no verifiable evidence or reports to show this was true. I told them these claims were baseless.” Despite the direct refutation from Heck, Vance left the post up, and Trump later that day brought the rumor up during the debate. 

Vance, however, does not find an issue with his and his running mate’s unusual insistence with these false allegations. In an interview with Dana Bash on CNN, when asked if he would affirm that his claim that immigrants in Springfield are eating dogs and cats is an unsubstantiated rumor, Vance replied, “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 going to do, Dana.” He also continuously claimed in the interview that he received this information from several constituents, but again, has not actually provided a reliable source for his and Trump’s claims.

Conversation on social media surrounding this whirlwind of misinformation has, in typical internet fashion, made it into a meme. The audio of Trump speaking at the debate and a musical remix of his words made into a song have both been trending on TikTok in the past week. Although there might be some humor to be found amongst these absurd, far-fetched claims, it is important for everyone to not forget how concerning the fundament of this situation is. 

These comments have quickly been made light of by celebrities and influencers partaking in the use of these sounds, but this is damaging to the recognition of these comments as being abnormal, concerning, and flat out incorrect. It is not humorous for the United States of America’s former president to be spreading racist lies on national television. It is not humorous for one of the vice presidential nominees to admit to creating stories to gain media attention, and it certainly is not humorous for anyone to be dancing to a song that makes light of racist comments.

When these trends are circulated, they distract the general public from acknowledging the legitimate effect these false claims have on the communities they’re made against. Even Springfield’s Republican Mayor Rob Rue, told BBC Newsnight that people need to better understand “the weight of their words and how it can negatively affect communities.” Following Vance’s and Trump’s comments, Springfield was subjected to dozens of bomb threats, which have been reported on by several news outlets, including NBC News, AP News, and CNN. This influx of violence is not a coincidence, as it directly followed the spew of lies spread by the Trump-Vance ticket. Schools have been evacuated and shut down, an annual diversity celebration canceled, and there has been a deployment of police to city schools, sparking fear and chaos in the Springfield community. These comments that have been turned into a lighthearted dance trend on TikTok are severely affecting American citizens’ lives, but these stories are not trending on TikTok – the song is. 

I’m sure many will say that the song is not that serious, that it’s just a joke, and to be concerned about it is to also be oversensitive, but that’s not true. It is scary to live during a time when misinformation can be continuously perpetuated by two of our nation’s presidential and vice presidential nominees without consequence. This spreading of lies with racist, xenophobic messages laced within them is dangerous to not just Springfield, Ohio residents, but to all American citizens. There are real, pressing problems happening in Springfield that need to be addressed, and when unsubstantiated, bizarre rumors are spread by the presidential nominee and his running mate, those genuine issues are overshadowed, and election talk revolves around negating these claims, rather than conversation about actual policy. 

So, are the residents of Springfield, Ohio really eating cats and dogs? 

The answer is no.

Francesca McCaffrey is a Photography Director in the Pace University New York City chapter of Her Campus! She is currently a Senior majoring in Fine Arts, honing in on film photography and graphic design in her studies. She has worked within her major as a graphic design intern and as an art specialist teaching art classes for children of all ages over the last summer. During her childhood, she grew up on the Jersey Shore in an entirely female household and cites this environment as the origin of her feminist beliefs. She now minors in Women’s and Gender Studies, using this area of education as a framework for many of her projects in both art and writing. As a first year member, she is excited to share her ideas and opinions with the world! Outside of her major, Francesca is also interested in live music, film, theatre, and traveling. She often is listening to Taylor Swift, watching a psychological thriller, or attending a Broadway show. She is very excited to write about all of her interests during the year!