The truth behind Trump’s pet-eating conspiracy theory

Donald Trump is using the wild accusation that asylum seekers are abducting and eating pets to argue his return to the presidency is needed to fix a “failing nation”.

Jim Norton

Sep 16, 2024 – 12.10pm

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Local gossip would once have gone no further than the end of the street, or around town at most if it was particularly juicy. A few might believe it, but most would perhaps doubt the dubious retelling of a story from a “friend of a friend of a friend” – the incident swiftly forgotten.

Not so in 2024, where a wild rumour posted on social media can not only go viral and be viewed by millions, but now appears to have the power to impact policymaking and the future of one of the biggest countries in the world.

The Telegraph London