Demagogue /n./ ˈdem’ə gäg’ : a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power.

“Blessed are the ‘shithole countries,’ for they gave us the American Dream.” – Paul Hewson

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In the past month, much of the political discourse in the U.S. revolved around fearmongering by Donald Trump and his vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance against immigrants, specifically Haitian immigrants in Ohio. After Trump repeated baseless rumors about Haitians stealing (and eating) people’s cats and dogs in Springfield, that town was subjected to at least 33 bomb threats, including schools, government buildings, and local colleges, according to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (a Republican, if that matters to you).

While the bomb threats turned out to be empty, they were nonetheless highly disruptive, with hospitals put on lockdown, City Hall and schools evacuated, and universities forced to hold classes remotely. DeWine revealed that there was evidence that some of the threats originated overseas, likely in an attempt to create a bit of chaos in the U.S. Yet, other threats were local and not so empty. Haitians in Springfield have had property  vandalized and reported feeling anxious and afraid for their lives. Haitian-American media outlets have also been threatened. And even a white business owner in Springfield (a Republican who voted twice for Trump) has had his life and those of his family threatened after he defended his Haitian employees. The fallout for ordinary people has been very real, stemming largely from Trump’s and Vance’s incitement.