(Washington) A Republican congressman was heavily criticized Wednesday for his X-rated message calling Haitian migrants recently targeted by Donald Trump “thugs” and “animal eaters.”
“These Haitians are crazy. They eat animals, do voodoo, it’s the ugliest country in the Americas,” wrote Representative Clay Higgins in a post that has since been deleted.
And he added: “These thugs had better get their ideas back in place and get 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 town in Ohio.
These rumors, born on social networks, were peddled 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 ate “cats and dogs”.
The Louisiana lawmaker who posted 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,” Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman said.
“He prayed about it, he regretted it and he took it down,” House Republican leader Mike Johnson said. “I’m sure he regrets what he said, but we have to move forward,” he added.