GOP Rep Higgins removes social post with remarks about Haitians amid bipartisan backlash

GOP Rep. Clay Higgins has removed an X post with derogatory comments about Haitians, amid an influx of migrants from Haiti in several cities in the U.S. that has sparked a political firestorm.

Higgins wrote Wednesday that "these Haitians are wild. Eating pets, [sic] vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters." He also called them "thugs."

Haitian migrants allegedly eating residents' pet cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio, has resulted in a back-and-forth between Democrats and Republicans, fueled in part by GOP presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and running-mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance repeating the unproven claims on the campaign trail. 

A Haitian non-profit is suing Trump and Vance over the claims.

Mayor Rob Rue told CNN the city’s population has increased about 25% over the past three years, partially due to the arrival of Haitian immigrants.

Higgins, a Louisiana Republican, reportedly removed the post after being confronted about it on the House floor. He said the post was intended for Haitian gangs.

Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., was among the lawmakers who criticized Higgins for the post.

"We all owe each other better than this, but as elected officials, we should hold ourselves to an even higher standard," he said. "We have a solemn responsibility to represent and respect all races of people. Hate-filled rhetoric like this is not just offensive – it is dangerous."

Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., said he was “shocked and disappointed” by Higgins’s comments, adding that the rhetoric reduced “Haitian immigrants to offensive tropes," according to The Hill newspaper.