The singer John Legend refuted presidential candidate Donald Trump, who stated in the debate with Kamala Harris that in the city of Springfield, Haitian immigrants eat cats and dogs.
“You may have heard of Springfield, Ohio, this week. Nobody eats cats or dogs,” said the Emmy Award winner referring to the topic discussed by the presidential candidates.
Donald Trump stated in the electoral debate "in Springfield they are eating dogs, they are eating cats... They are eating people's pets who live there. And this is what is happening in our country, and it is a shame", meanwhile, Kamala Harris was looking at him with a mocking smile.
The New York Post reported that the singer, who publicly showed his support for Harris by attending the Democratic Convention in August of this year, made his statement with a video on his Instagram account. Along with the recording, he wrote a quote from John R Stephens that says: "What if we loved each other. See the humanity in each other... Let's talk about Springfield, Ohio."
John Legend, 45, invited the people of his hometown Springfield to embrace the influx of Haitian immigrants, including their dietary preferences, asserting that pets are safe.
John Legend, Donald Trump, Haitians, and Springfield
In the extensive video, John Legend said that Haitian immigrants filled the void left by thousands of American citizens who left Springfield over the decades. Although he also left Springfield, he recalled that "when I was there, we had over 75,000 people, and in the last five years, we went down to 60,000 people."
He pointed out that Haitians who arrived legally in this city increased the population and took on jobs to boost economic development. "Generally, they do very well here... They are hard workers. They are ambitious. They commit fewer crimes than native Americans, and they will assimilate and integrate over time, but it takes time," said the singer, who urged to be supportive of immigrants as neighbors, as established by the Christian faith.
"What if we adopt that spirit when we talk about immigrants moving to our communities and don't spread hateful, xenophobic, and racist lies about them," Legend concluded.