In a CNN interview, JD Vance said he relied on “firsthand accounts” but did not substantiate his claims|Gage Skidmore|CC BY-SA 2.0

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said in a CNN interview that he relied on “firsthand accounts” from constituents that Haitian immigrants were eating the pets of Springfield, Ohio residents. The statement comes even after officials have already debunked the rumors.

Vance also added that he and Donald Trump were standing up for Springfield residents worried about the influx of 15,000 Haitians over the past three years in a town of roughly 58,000 people.

The controversy, which former president Donald Trump discussed in the recent presidential debate, has led to racist harassment, bomb threats and school evacuations targeting the Haitian community in Springfield.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine condemned the rumors, calling them “hurtful” and “not helpful.”

Critics, including the White House, have condemned Vance for spreading dangerous misinformation.