College Matters from The Chronicle

Trump's Pet-Eating Claim Meant Crisis for This Campus Leader

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During his September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump amplified a debunked rumor that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating people’s pet cats and dogs. Soon, Wittenberg University, a private institution in Springfield, began receiving violent threats. Michael Frandsen, the university’s president, feared the worst — and got an education in the viral power of misinformation.

Related Reading: 

  • At 2 Colleges, the Fall Semester Has Been Disrupted by Trump’s Lies About Eating Pets
  • If Trump Wins … His allies are preparing to overhaul higher education. The sector is woefully ill-prepared to defend itself.
  • 4 years of Fighting: Trump vs. Higher Ed


    Guest: Michael Frandsen, president of Wittenberg University

    For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.

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