For subscribers
Trump, Vance and American blood and soil
A myth about migrants eating pets masks a calculated political bet.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
It is easy to suppose that Trump will lose votes for indulging this pet-eating chimaera. But his dark rhetoric masks a calculated bet.
PHOTO: AFP
Edward Luce
It has been raining cats and dogs in America. The myth that immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, has triggered an outpouring of memes. An early example showed US presidential candidate Donald Trump hugging a kitten and a goose. These were soon swamped by plays on the absurdity of the claims. The silver lining to this postmodern version of blood libel is that humour remains an effective tool.
Beneath it, though, lies a momentous twist in American politics.
