According to The Wall Street Journal, a Vance staffer provided a police report of a suspected cat napping. It turned out the pet was fine.

After amplifying what started as a viral rumor on Facebook, Donald Trump and JD Vance have since quadrupled down on the lie that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating pets. The racist claim spawned multiple bomb threats at local schools and heightened fear in the community, especially among Haitians.

Vance has long known his claims about dogs and cats being eaten by Haitian migrants are not true—yet he chose to spread them anyway.