Lawyer for Haitian group seeking Trump’s arrest slams MAGA congressman’s ‘racist’ slur

Rep. Clay Higgins, the MAGA congressman from Louisiana, on Thursday retracted his now-deleted social media post in which he said Haitian migrants were “thugs” who “eat pets.” But the lawyer representing Haitians who fell victim to the viral pet-eating conspiracy says he doesn’t think so.

“It is a lame and pathetic excuse for naked racism and xenophobia,” Subodh Chandra told the Daily Beast. Chandra represents the Haitian Bridge Alliance, which has filed a citizen’s complaint in Springfield, Ohio, seeking the arrest of Donald Trump and JD Vance.

“It’s bad enough that Higgins is a racist, but he’s also a menacing racist who vows to take illegal actions against people who are here legally,” Chandra said.

Higgins sparked an uproar in Congress on Wednesday when he tweeted: “These Haitians are wild.” Eating pets, Vudu, the worst country in the Western Hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters… but damn if they don’t feel fully cultured now and Bring charges against our president and vice president.”

He ended his vitriol by saying, “All these thugs had better get their act together before January 20th and leave our country.”

The Louisiana Republican deleted the comment shortly after it was posted, telling reporters on Thursday without apologizing: “You never want to intentionally hurt anyone’s feelings, and that post was intended for Haitian gangs, you understand?” He suggested that he “didn’t mean to insult Haiti as a country at all.”

The criminal charges against Trump and Vance include interfering with public service, making false statements and making serious threats. Chandra, the group’s lawyer, said he planned to add another charge to the file by Friday, causing panic.

Trump and Vance’s viral claims caused chaos in Springfield, Ohio. Schools, businesses, medical centers and city hall were forced to close due to bomb threats. The state’s Republican governor condemned as “garbage” claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield were eating dogs and cats.

Trump infamously claimed during his debate against Kamala Harris that those Haitians in Springfield would “eat the dogs” and “eat the cats.” They eat, they eat the pets of the people who live there.”

Higgins released his anti-Haitian tirade on Wednesday in response to news that the Haitian group represented by Chandra had filed charges against Trump and Vance. He deleted it hours later.

Democrats moved to censure Higgins over Wednesday’s post, but Republicans blocked the move on the final day of the session until after Election Day.

Higgins was at the Capitol on Thursday, serving as a member of the House task force investigating the attempted assassination of Trump in July.