Ohio Republican governor: ‘Absurd’ claims about pet eating in Springfield must stop

“This discussion just has to stop,” he said during his appearance on ABC's “This Week.”

Although DeWine called for an end to the spread of false claims, he repeatedly avoided directly criticizing former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance for their roles.

Trump first amplified these false accusations during last week's presidential debate and has repeated them since, even calling for mass deportations from Springfield.

In a now-viral debate moment, Trump said, “In Springfield, they eat the dogs. The people who came here eat the cats. They eat – they eat the pets of the people who live there.”

Vance, Trump's running mate, defended the baseless allegations but stressed that he was willing to “make up stories” to attract media attention.

However, DeWine does not seem willing to allow these falsehoods to spread.

When ABC News' Martha Raddatz asked DeWine if, as governor, he saw evidence of Haitian immigrants eating pets, he replied, “No. Absolutely not. That's what the mayor said, that's what the police chief said, and I think it's unfortunate that this came up.”

DeWine said the Haitian immigrants in Springfield were in the U.S. legally because of Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

“They came to Springfield to work,” he said, adding that local businesses have praised them as “very good workers.”

When asked specifically about Trump's role in spreading these stories, DeWine responded indirectly: “Look, there's a lot of garbage on the Internet.”

“That was nonsense that is simply not true. There is no evidence for it at all,” he added.

When pressed again about what he would say to Trump, DeWine evaded the question and instead talked about hate groups coming to Springfield.

He said Haitian immigrants have had “positive influences” in Springfield, adding, “Any other comment on this, in my opinion, is hurtful and not helpful to the city of Springfield or the people of Springfield.”

Business Insider previously spoke to Springfield residents who said the comments created a tense and, some said, dangerous atmosphere in the Ohio city.

On Thursday, Springfield City Hall was temporarily closed due to a bomb threat that used “hateful language” against Haitian immigrants in the community. The city’s mayor told the Washington Post.

DeWine, who did not mention Trump and Vance by name, said: “This discussion just has to stop. We have to focus on moving forward, not on dogs and cats being eaten. This is just ridiculous.”

DeWine's office did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.