Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California appeared to lose it at a Congressional hearing Tuesday over a comical image of former President Donald Trump protecting a cat and a duck.
The GOP House Judiciary Committee shared the computer-generated image on social media platform X with the caption, “Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio.”
Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio! pic.twitter.com/YnTZStPnsg
— House Judiciary GOP ???????????????????????? (@JudiciaryGOP) September 9, 2024
The picture is in reference to an unsubstantiated account from a Springfield, Ohio, resident given at a recent city commission meeting that Haitian migrants are killing and eating ducks from public parks.
Springfield is a city of approximately 60,000 people in central Ohio that has seen an influx of between 15,000 and 20,000 Haitians over the past four years, the New York Post reported.
There have been other unverified accounts of people’s pets being abducted and eaten. A non-Haitian woman was recently charged with killing and consuming a neighbor’s cat in the Canton, Ohio, area, according to USA Today.
Woman arrested in Ohio, USA for eating a neighbor’s pet cat. pic.twitter.com/MpU9VL1Xkf
— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) September 9, 2024
Another photo that went viral on social media after it was snapped in July showed a man on a street corner in Columbus, Ohio, carrying what appeared to be a dead goose.
The Columbus Dispatch did an article saying the man who published it on Reddit has come to regret doing so.
“He never expected it to be used as proof by right-wing figures falsely claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating pets and wildlife,” the outlet reported.
“I wish I never took it, for sure. And I hate that the picture that I took is being weaponized to use against immigrants, or really, any other group,” the man told the Disptach.
Here’s a higher quality image of the alleged Haitian migrant carrying a goose in Ohio. Some have stated that it was taken in Springfield, but it was actually Columbus, about 50 miles away. I was able to find the exact location of the image. This potential illegal poaching can be… pic.twitter.com/bI7KUJisc5
— Expose Them (@ExposeDarkDeeds) September 9, 2024
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio posted Monday on X, “When President Trump was in office: 1. The border was secure. 2. Illegal aliens weren’t eating your pets.”
When President Trump was in office:
1. The border was secure.
2. Illegal aliens weren’t eating your pets.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) September 9, 2024
At a House Judiciary Committee meeting Tuesday on the southern border crisis, Swalwell accused Republicans of not taking the issue seriously. He displayed a blown-up image of Trump with the kitten and duck as proof.
“What in the hell is this? The chairman tweets, ‘Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio!’ because he goes down some crazy rabbit hole, completely debunked, that aliens are eating pets. My God, are you okay, Mr. Chairman?” Swalwell asked, directing his question to Jordan.
Eric Swalwell just had a FULL ON MELTDOWN about cat memes…
“What in the hell is this?!” pic.twitter.com/lWrj9Cq0XD
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 10, 2024
“I don’t know why you would do this, I hope you are OK. I don’t know if the aliens who are eating your ducks are in the room with us right now, but Mr. Chairman this is a serious issue,” the Democrat added.
“These people have loved ones who have been lost. And you tweeted this?” Swalwell asked, referring to people who had testified earlier in the hearing about Americans who had been killed by migrant criminals.
Beyond the GOP Judiciary Committee account, many people have been making posts about protecting ducks and cats.
Elon Muck posted on X, “Save them!”
Save them! ???? pic.twitter.com/aLMPTJIPd9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 9, 2024
The pro-Trump X account il Donaldo Trumpo posted a video of cats scrambling to the tune of Mission Impossible to get away from danger in Ohio.
I LOVE THE INTERNET!!!???????????? pic.twitter.com/6wNGaxLTzL
— il Donaldo Trumpo (@PapiTrumpo) September 10, 2024
Trump himself got into the mix, posting an AI image of cats in combat gear, wearing black MAGA hats.
Donald Trump Truth Social 05:19 PM EST 09/10/24 @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/zWL4GusbqL
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 10, 2024
Swalwell’s outburst of anger appeared contrived, along with his sudden concern for border security after 10 million migrants have flooded into the country during the past four years of the Biden-Harris administration.
In this election season, when the nation is grappling with serious issues, including the border, it’s okay to have a moment of levity every now and then.
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