When Political Memes Take on a Lie of Their Own

New York Times: “The previous week, claims that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating pet cats in Springfield, Ohio, had begun circulating on social media. None of the reports had been substantiated, and local officials in Springfield — a small city where, in recent years, public services have been strained by a large influx of Haitian migrants — said they had seen no evidence that any of them were true. Major conservative media outlets had given them only fleeting attention.”

“But while the story has so far not proved credible, it has proved meme-able — and that has given it a life far beyond the right-wing internet.”

“For days, images and videos of former President Donald J. Trump and cats have proliferated online, delivered with a knowing wink and an understood endorsement of Mr. Trump’s hard-line immigration message. Their over-the-top imagery gives them the feel of an inside joke. A “just kidding” is implied, allowing political figures who might otherwise have hesitated to circulate debunked material to get in on it. The reality is beside the point.”