A Republican elected official in the US Congress was heavily criticized on Wednesday for his message on X describing Haitian migrants recently targeted by Donald Trump as “thugs” and “animal eaters”.
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“These Haitians are crazy. They eat animals, do voodoo, it’s the nastiest country on the American continent,” wrote elected official Clay Higgins in a post, since deleted.
And added: “These thugs have an interest in putting their ideas back in place and getting out of our country before January 20,” the date of the inauguration of the next American president.
Haitian immigrants have been the target of false rumors for several weeks, accusing them of eating pets in a small Ohio town.
These rumors, born on social networks, were spread by the Republican candidate for the White House, Donald Trump.
During his televised debate with his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in mid-September, he claimed, without proof, that migrants were eating “cats and dogs”.
The Louisiana elected official behind the racist message on Wednesday was targeted by a threat of censorship from the Democratic camp, which has so far failed.
“These comments are inflammatory, hateful, and false. Leave these people alone,” criticized Ohio Democrat Greg Landsman.
“He prayed about it, he regretted it and withdrew the publication,” responded the leader of the Republicans in the House, Mike Johnson. “I am sure he regrets the comments he made, but we must move forward,” he added.
