Springfield is similar to Youngstown and Warren. They’re Rust Belt cities in Ohio that have experienced major declines in population over the last 60 years as the industries and businesses that once helped them thrive left.

Despite best efforts and some improvements — such as focusing on rebuilding downtowns and seeking to attract new businesses — the cities still struggle.

Springfield saw its population start to increase in 2017 when Haitian immigrants began legally relocating there to get a fresh start and employment after the city attracted some new businesses in need of workers.

About 15,000 Haitians have relocated to Springfield, a city that had fewer than 60,000 residents. It has caused a strain on public resources and created some resentment and blame for problems in the city.

Springfield became a national talking point when U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Cincinnati, went public with claims from some city residents that the Haitians were eating pets and wild geese.

Without verifying any of the stories, Vance repeated the false claims.

When I first heard this, I laughed because it is so outrageously ridiculous. But to show how some people are fooled, a recent poll shows that 22% of those who support Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and Vance believe the falsehoods are “definitely true,” and another 30% say they’re “probably true.”

Vance posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sept. 9, about Springfield: “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”

After Republican officials in Springfield said it wasn’t true, Vance posted on Sept. 10: “In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who’ve said their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian immigrants. It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”

While Vance tried to somewhat back peddle, Trump said at the Sept. 10 presidential debate, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in; they’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there and this is what’s happening in our country.”

The day before the debate, Springfield police said there are “no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

Again, the Republican officials who run Springfield and Clark County — Springfield is the county seat — have repeatedly refuted the false statements from Vance, Trump and others.

But even after that, Vance and Trump continued.

Vance blames the media for ignoring what have turned out to be false claims and says he believes some residents while telling Spectrum News they “could be lying to me.” Apparently he also doesn’t believe local government officials and the police.

The Wall Street Journal reported that right after Vance initially posted the phony story on X, his staff called Springfield officials who told them it wasn’t true. That didn’t stop him from continuing to tell dangerous lies intended to turn people against foreigners.

Vance’s staff gave the Journal the name of a woman who reported a missing cat — and presumed eaten by Haitians. The woman told reporters the cat was in her basement.

Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said of the Springfield lies: “This is a piece of garbage that was simply not true. There’s no evidence of this at all.”

Trump at a New York rally on Wednesday said Springfield had “32,000 illegal immigrants” come into the city in “the period of a few weeks.” None of that is true.

Trump also said he was coming to Springfield.

Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, a Democrat, said: “When you hear lies like that, it’s all we’re talking about. We’re not talking about the economy. We’re not talking about housing. We’re not talking about mental health. We’re talking about Springfield, Ohio, because someone said the dogs and cats are being eaten. The lies got more attention than the truth about everything we’re dealing with in this country. Here’s a guy who wants to be president of the United States of America, and this is all he can give us.”

Brown said Youngstown is working with various entities to “repopulate” the city and would welcome immigrants “who want to be good productive citizens.”

David Skolnick is a political writer for the Youngstown Vindicator and Warren Tribune-Chronicle, sister Ogden newspapers with the Columbiana Country newspapers. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @dskolnick.Contact David Skolnick by email at dskolnick@vindy.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @dskolnick.