What Cats, Haitians, Peanut and Fred have to do with the US elections

When Donald Trump said Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating pets during a debate with Democratic rival Kamala Harris, an armada of “fact checkers” accused him of whipping up anti-immigrant sentiment. Wire agency AP’s report that said Trump was amplifying “false rumours” when he said “(Haitians) are eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there” sums up the outrage and indignation in mainstream media.

Trump’s running mate J D Vance said the alleged incidents in Springfield, Ohio, may need checking but pointed out that until the moment the former President brought up the reference few media outlets had bothered to find out what was happening in Springfield or in similar cities and towns. It was only later that reports admitted that the Haitian population in Springfield had indeed spiked, perhaps by as much as 25%, with the migrants attracted by low costs and job prospects.

A CNN report quoted a community activist as saying: “Before you know it…it was almost like, ‘If there’s a good Friday sale and you got a great deal at Macy’s, you tell all your friends, and the stores are packed.’” Tucked away was an admission that the Biden administration had made Haitians eligible for more legal avenues to enter the United States, ostensibly to reduce pressure at the borders. Vance’s charge that Springfield is bearing the brunt of Biden-Kamala Harris immigration policies was not untrue and, more importantly, struck a chord with many voters.

Most media reporting that lashed out at Trump for making baseless claims chose not to examine the basis of a growing resentment – palpable to even casual visitors to the US — against both legal and illegal migration. Finding ways to reduce logjams at the borders by moving migrants further afield only served to encourage more to land up at the border crossings in Mexico while thousands attempted hazardous journeys across the wilderness of the US-Canadian border to the north.

The cats of Springfield offer a useful parable on the US elections and Trump’s thumping win over Harris. The discussion on the felines summed up popular fears and apprehensions but most commentators concentrated on shooting the messenger. The failure of most polling agencies to pick up the uptick in Republican support was because many Trump voters were hesitant to acknowledge their choice. There were few really undecided voters – only those who felt shy about voicing opinions contrary to the more uninhibited and vocal Liberal condemnation of Trump.

Trump’s success in winning all the swing states is damning evidence of how unconvincing Harris was as a candidate. Despite the efforts of the Obamas and Clintons to talk up her candidacy, ordinary Americans just did not swallow the bait. In fact, the more Barack Obama campaigned and spoke for her, the more he reminded voters of his legacy of over-regulation, foreign policy disasters like Libya and an overbearing and prescriptive approach to policy making – the very reasons why Trump won in 2016.

By popular reckoning in mid-2024, prices of most stuff required for household consumption had doubled. Over what period exactly was unclear, but it was obvious that families were feeling the pinch. Couples with young kids were working harder to manage budgets and so were retirees. Harris’s plan, which she did not reiterate after a hostile reception, to impose price caps spooked voters even more.

The sad tale of Peanut the squirrel and Fred the racoon who were snatched from their owner and euthanised by New York authorities on grounds that the animals are a “rabies risk” days before the November 5 poll stood out for mindless application of rules that seem to target the most vulnerable. Voters feeling increasingly disenfranchised by the excesses of an entitled elite might have seen Peanut and Fred as kindred spirits.

The revolt of the “deplorables” that swept the Democrats from office should have surprised no one except its victims who failed to see it coming.

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Rajeev Deshpande

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