Trump Pushes Right-Wing Conspiracy in Debate Against Harris

Answering the question “Are you better off today than you were four years ago,” Donald Trump invoked a viral right-wing conspiracy theory about immigrants stealing and eating family pets.

And thus began his high-stakes debate in Philadelphia against Kamala Harris. Trump began by talking about tariffs when he suddenly veered to undocumented immigrants, saying there are “millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums.”

He mentioned Springfield, Ohio, the city that this week became the center of an outlandish right-wing conspiracy theory about illegal immigrants kidnapping and eating pet cats and ducks. His running mate, JD Vance, was among those who spread the claim, even though police have denied any such occurrences.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”

“Oh come on,” Harris appeared to say, laughing.

Calling them the people “she and Biden let into our country,” Trump said, “We have to get them out and we have to get them out fast.”

ABC News anchor David Muir asked the lead-off question, which Harris answered by saying she was “raised as a middle class kid,” a theme she has hit over and over again on the campaign trail. She promised a child tax credit of $6,000 for young families and a $50,000 tax deduction to start-ups.

The high-stakes debate is their first, and possibly only, faceoff until Election Day—less than two months away. Each candidate is hoping to land a knockout blow during the 90-minute debate to take a decisive lead in the polls.

Both candidates arrived at the historic showdown in Philadelphia in a win-or-lose position, but Harris had the most to gain or lose. The former president is a known entity whose MAGA base seems more energized with each indictment, mug shot, criminal conviction and false claim; Harris, on the other hand, is still introducing herself to voters and trying to convince them she has a solid plan to improve their lives and run the country.

Harris walked onto the debate stage, introducing herself to Trump and putting her hand out to shake hands with her GOP opponent, who she had never met. As Trump began to speak, she was barely able to hide a smirk while scribbling notes.