JD Vance’s obsession with cats is bizarre. He needs to stop spreading fake mews | Arwa Mahdawi

From banging on about childless cat ladies' to spreading racist rumours about Haitians eating pets, Trump's running mate can't seem to move on from his strange fixation with felines

Want to know the secret to winning elections and influencing people? Cat memes. This is according to JD Vance, who, you might have noticed, has a bizarre fixation with felines. Donald Trump's running mate - a man who might soon become one of the most powerful people in the world - has been widely ridiculed and condemned for his comments about childless cat ladies". But instead of trying to move the news cycle on from cat-related matters, he seems to have doubled down on them. Vance is now in the headlines for spreading outrageous, and wildly racist, false rumours about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Trump amplified those rumours during his debate with Kamala Harris last week.

These accusations, which partly stemmed from a Facebook post some random woman wrote (and has now apologised for) about a friend of a neighbour losing a cat, have wreaked havoc in Springfield. There have been bomb threats against local hospitals and Haitian community members are reportedly terrified. We all know Trump doesn't have a conscience - but is Vance even the slightest bit contrite?

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