Wyclef Jean is firing back at Donald Trump after the disgraced former president’s odd debate comments about Haitian immigrants supposedly eating household pets.
Speaking to TMZ Hip Hop, the Grammy-winning artist made it clear that America needs to focus on facts, not fiction, this election season.
“I will be forever grateful for my family’s life and the chance to live the ‘American Dream,’” Wyclef said. “One of our greatest assets in America is that we are a country of immigrants. Haitian people living in the U.S. are good neighbors and good people. We care about humanity. We care about our neighbors.”
The debate’s viral moment came when Trump bizarrely claimed that small towns like Springfield, Ohio, were being overrun by immigrants feasting on wild animals—including cats and dogs—peddling a debunked conspiracy theory about Haitian residents.
A theory that Donald Trump Jr. quickly backed, taking to X (formerly Twitter), where he shared, “Leaked audio of a 911 call from August 26th to the Clark County Sheriff Office in Springfield, Ohio shows a caller reporting 4 Haitian Migrants carrying dead geese to the police.”
https://x.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1833657985454739523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1833657985454739523%7Ctwgr%5E1623c4fd873be6ee22348810b985ac6d6211f802%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com%2F2024%2F09%2F12%2Fwyclef-jean-responds-donald-trump-haitian-immigrants-comments%2F
Wyclef, a lifelong ambassador for Haiti, has made immigrant pride central to his career, even naming his music label “Refugee Camp.” He’s now calling for these damaging narratives to be stopped before they take hold.
“On behalf of Haitian Americans, I ask that we stop these racist messages and accusations. Put our hands out in peace and say thanks for being my neighbor,” he said. “We need to respect one another and vote based on policies and facts, not crazy talk. And we need to shake hands with one another and be thankful we are part of an America for all.”
n Tuesday (September 10), Trump reignited false rumors during a televised debate, claiming Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating household pets. “They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said, repeating the kind of inflammatory, anti-immigrant rhetoric that has been a hallmark of his campaigns.
Harris responded by calling Trump “extreme” and laughing at his comments. It’s worth noting, debate moderators quickly pointed out that city officials had already debunked the claims.