Why the Haitian Immigrant ‘Cat-Eating’ Story Is a Low Point for Conservatives

Why is this even a thing? Seriously, why? It’s baffling to think we’re letting this absurdity cloud what should be a serious discussion about immigration. We’re letting ourselves be distracted by a ridiculous story that has no basis in reality. We’re supposed to be the adults in the room, the ones who deal in facts and logic. So why are we entertaining a narrative that has more in common with a bad TV drama than with actual policy debate?

We have to talk about why this kind of thing even gains traction. It’s easy, isn’t it? It’s easier to whip up fear than to have a nuanced conversation about immigration policy. It’s easier to point fingers than to come up with real solutions. But easy isn’t what we signed up for. Being a conservative means embracing the hard truths, not jumping on the bandwagon of the latest fearmongering fad. And right now, this cat-eating story is nothing more than a fear factory churning out fake news.

Look, immigration is a complicated issue. We know that. Border security, economic impact, humanitarian concerns—these are real topics that deserve real debate. But how can we expect to be taken seriously on these matters when we’re busy peddling absurdities? If we want people to trust us, if we want them to believe that we have legitimate solutions, then we need to stop with the baseless claims and start sticking to the facts.

Let’s get one thing straight: pushing false narratives isn’t just lazy, it’s dangerous. It damages the integrity of our movement. It makes us look like we’re grasping at straws, desperate to scare people into our camp rather than winning them over with solid arguments. Do we really want to be known as the party that cries wolf? Because that’s exactly what we’re doing when we cling to stories like this.

And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room—this kind of rhetoric is harmful. It paints immigrants as monstrous threats based on nothing but fear and fiction. That’s not who we are. Or at least, that’s not who we should be. We can have a tough, honest conversation about immigration without demonizing people based on rumors and lies. We’ve got to do better than this.

We claim to stand for truth, for responsibility, for being the level-headed ones in the room. Yet here we are, letting a fringe story about cat-eating dominate the conversation. Why aren’t we focusing on real issues? The economy is struggling, the border needs securing, and our education system is in shambles. These are the topics that affect every American’s daily life. And what are we doing? Arguing over a debunked myth.

So why is this narrative still around? Let’s be real—because it plays on fears. It’s an easy way to rile people up and make immigrants the scapegoat. But it’s lazy and, frankly, cowardly. We should be leading the conversation with facts, with data, with real-world solutions. Instead, we’re resorting to scare tactics that belong in a tabloid, not in serious political discourse.

We have to ask ourselves a hard question: What kind of party do we want to be? Do we want to be the party of serious debate, of meaningful solutions? Or do we want to be the party that gets laughed out of the room because we’re chasing after conspiracy theories? We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We should be the ones saying, “Hold on a second, let’s check the facts here,” not the ones perpetuating a lie.

Think about the message we’re sending. We’re telling voters that we’re more interested in pushing a narrative than in tackling real issues. We’re telling them that it’s okay to bypass the facts if it means scoring political points. Is that really what we want? We have a chance to be better than that, to set an example. To show that we’re about more than just winning; we’re about doing what’s right.

Here’s a thought: How about we focus on policies that actually make a difference? How about we talk about how to secure the border in a way that’s effective and humane? How about we discuss ways to fix the immigration system so that it works for everyone, rather than devolving into fear-mongering and finger-pointing? We have real solutions to offer, but we’re not going to get there by chasing ghosts.

We’ve got enough to worry about without creating imaginary crises. Inflation is sky-high, our criminal justice system is broken, and our cities are struggling. These are real problems that need real answers. And we have them. We have a wealth of conservative ideas that can make this country better. But no one’s going to listen to us if we’re busy yelling about something that’s been proven false time and time again.

Let’s cut the nonsense and get back to what matters. We should be the party that stands on principle, that fights for what’s right, not what’s convenient. We should be the ones leading with facts and honesty, not hiding behind fairy tales. We owe it to ourselves, and more importantly, we owe it to the American people.

We’re at a crossroads here. We can either continue down this road of fear and fiction, or we can take a stand and say, “Enough.” Enough with the fake news. Enough with the distractions. We have bigger fish to fry, and it’s time we got to work on frying them.

Let’s be the conservatives we claim to be—the ones who value truth, who value reason, who value responsible leadership. Let’s be the party that offers real solutions, not scare tactics. We have so much more to offer than this, and it’s time we started acting like it.

In the end, our power doesn’t come from spreading lies; it comes from standing firm on the truth. We have the ideas that can move this country forward. We have the solutions that can fix what’s broken. But none of that will matter if we’re too busy chasing shadows to actually make a difference.

So let’s put this nonsense behind us. Let’s rise to the occasion and show the American people what real conservative leadership looks like. It’s time to move past the cat-eating fairy tale and get back to the real work of making this country great.

Written By: Stephen Despin Jr. | Founder/Contributor