During the debate the day after the city official discredited the rumor, former President Donald Trump parroted the false claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are stealing and eating local pets, casting the Midwestern community into an unwelcome national spotlight that has stoked threats of violence against its residents.

The mayor of Springfield, Ohio, has confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that the Trump campaign echoed false claims about Haitian immigrants since the September presidential debate – despite the city informing a campaign staffer the day before the rumors were “baseless.