Chapter 100: Eating Cats

377     “Violence is never the solution” Matteo Salvini, Twitter, February 3, 2018, 11:12 a.m., x.com/matteosalvinimi/status/959821942t831435776, archived at archive.today February 9, 2026 capture, archive.ph/wip/AkBsk.

377     “Out-of-control immigration leads to chaos . . .”  Salvini, Twitter, February 3, 2018, x.com/matteosalvinimi/status/959821942831435776, archived at archive.ph/wip/AkBsk.

377      the third most votes . . . more votes than . . . and Meloni’s Brothers of Italy See “Party-by-Party Results” in “Italian Elections 2018—Full Results,” The Guardian, March 5, 2018, www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2018/mar/05/italian-elections-2018-full-results-renzi-berlusconi.

377     the most seats, though not a majority  “Italian Elections 2018—Full Results,” www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2018/mar/05/italian-elections-2018-full-results-renzi-berlusconi.

377     Italy’s interior minister and one of two deputy prime ministers . . .  Steve Scherer and Gavin Jones, “Italy’s Anti-Establishment Leaders Revive Governing Coalition,” Reuters, May 31, 2018, www.reuters.com/article/world/italy-s-anti-establishment-leaders-revive-governing-coalition-idUSKCN1IW0Z5/.

377     withdrew from in fall 2019  “Salvini Pulls Support for Italian Coalition, Calls for Snap Election,” France 24, August 8, 2019, www.france24.com/en/20190808-italy-salvini-pulls-support-coalition-calls-snap-election; and “Make or Break Time in Italy for Forming New Government,” France 24, August 28, 2019, www.france24.com/en/20190828-make-or-break-italy-form-new-government.

377     the most seats from Italy  European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2019–2024: Italy—Official Results,” accessed February 13, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/italy/2019-2024/constitutive-session/.

377     organizing . . . into the Identity and Democracy group  Zia Weise, “Salvini Alliance to Be Named Identity and Democracy,” Politico, June 12, 2019, www.politico.eu/article/matteo-salvini-european-parliament-alliance-to-be-named-identity-and-democracy/; and Jennifer Rankin, “MEPs Create Biggest Far-Right Group in European Parliament,” The Guardian, June 13, 2019, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/13/meps-create-biggest-far-right-group-in-european-parliament.

377     “Migrationism is financed today by . . ." Meloni et al., Nigerian Mafia, quoted in Mario Portanova, “Nigerian Mafiosi? Savages and Cannibals’: All the ‘Pearls’ of Giorgia Meloni’s Book,” Il Fatto Quotidiano, September 16, 2023, www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2023/09/16/i-mafiosi-nigeriani-selvaggi-e-cannibali-tutte-le-perle-del-libro-di-giorgia-meloni/7289823/, via Google Translate.

377–378     “the definition of wild man. . .”  Meloni et al., Nigerian Mafia, quoted in Portanova, “Nigerian Mafiosi? Savages and Cannibals’: All the ‘Pearls’ of Giorgia Meloni’s Book,” www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2023/09/16/i-mafiosi-nigeriani-selvaggi-e-cannibali-tutte-le-perle-del-libro-di-giorgia-meloni/7289823/.

378     “risk of ethnic substitution, as we live in a world . . .”  Meloni et al., Nigerian Mafia, excerpt in “Eurafrica Seen Through a Smartphone: Immigration According to Giorgia Meloni’s ‘Nigerian Mafia,’” El Grand Continent, May 25, 2024, legrandcontinent.eu/es/2024/05/25/eurafrica-vista-desde-el-smartphone-la-inmigracion-segun-la-mafia-nigeriana-de-giorgia-meloni/.

378     did not provide evidence that “Nigerian mafia criminals” . . . “in exchange for . . .”  Meloni et al., Nigerian Mafia, quoted in Portanova, “Nigerian Mafiosi? Savages and Cannibals’: All the ‘Pearls’ of Giorgia Meloni’s Book,” www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2023/09/16/i-mafiosi-nigeriani-selvaggi-e-cannibali-tutte-le-perle-del-libro-di-giorgia-meloni/7289823/.

378     “totalitarian”  Eurafrica Seen Through a Smartphone: Immigration According to Giorgia Meloni’s ‘Nigerian Mafia,’” El Grand Continent, May 25, 2024,” 89. Visit search.worldcat.org/title/879528729to find The Crisis of Modernity, in which this piece appears, at a library.

378     “a kind of weapon of mass exclusion”  “President Meloni’s letter to the Corriere della Sera newspaper on Liberation Day,” Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Italian Government, www.governo.it/it/node/22468.

378     homicides . . . nearly nonexistent  Istat, Homicide Victims, Year 2022, November 24, 2023, www.istat.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Vittime-di-omicidio-2022.pdf, 1; and Istat, Homicide Victims, Year 2021, November 24, 2022, www.istat.it/it/files/2022/11/REPORT-VITTIME-DI-OMICIDIO_2021.pdf, 3.

378     “An immigrant cooks a poor kitten . . ." Giorgia Meloni, Twitter, June 30, 2020, 8:10 a.m., x.com/GiorgiaMeloni/status/1277937559872700416, archived at archive.today, February 9, 2026 capture, archive.ph/wip/8rHKR.

378     “Zero tolerance for this criminal . . .” Meloni, Twitter, June 30, 2020, x.com/GiorgiaMeloni/status/1277937559872700416, archived at archive.ph/wip/8rHKR.

378     third presidential campaign Donald Trump first ran for president in 2000, as a candidate for the Reform party. “Tracking the 2024 Presidential Candidates,” Decision 2024, NBC News, last updated January 7, 2025, www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/presidential-candidates-tracker; and Edward Helmore, “How Trump’s Political Playbook Evolved Since He First Ran for President in 2000,” The Guardian, February 5, 2017, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/05/donald-trump-reform-party-2000-president.

378     “Warning to all about our beloved pets . . .” Facebook post quoted in Monir Ghaedi, “Fact Check: Disinformation Targets Haitian Migrants,” Deutsche Welle (DW), September 13, 2024, www.dw.com/en/fact-check-how-the-stigmatization-of-haitian-vodou-led-to-a-disinformation-campaign/a-70200764.

379     “We wish to clarify that there have been no . . .”  Springfield Police Division, statement to NBC News, quoted in David Ingram, “Ohio Police Have ‘No Credible Reports’ of Haitian Immigrants Harming Pets, Contradicting JD Vance’s Claim,” NBC News, September 9, 2024, www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/jd-vance-ohio-police-no-reports-haitian-immigrants-harming-pets-rcna170271.

379     “My whole family is biracial” . . . “I never wanted to cause problems for anyone”  Quoted in Kevin Williams, “Ohio Woman Says She Regrets Sharing False Rumor About Haitians on Facebook,” New York Times, September 17, 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/09/17/us/springfield-haitians-pets-facebook-rumor.html.

379     used AI . . . Black men hunting Trump as he cradled a cat  Michael Williams, “Trump Campaign and JD Vance Promote False Rumors About Haitian Immigrants Eating Pets,” CNN, September 9, 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/09/09/politics/republicans-vance-hatian-immigrants-pets-rumors/index.html.

379     “President Trump will deport migrants who eat pets” Trump War Room, X, September 9, 2024, last edited 10:40 a.m., x.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1833153578434797685, archived at archive.today, September 10, 2024 capture, archive.ph/1siNP.

379     “Kamala Harris will send them . . .” Trump War Room, X, September 9, 2024, x.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1833153578434797685, archived at archive.ph/1siNP.

379     no one . . . JD Vance See JD Vance, X, September 9, 2024, 10:22 a.m., x.com/JDVance/status/1833148904864465117, archived at archive.today, September 25, 2024 capture, archive.ph/dfiI2; Huo Jingnan and Jasmine Garsd, “JD Vance Spreads Debunked Claims about Haitian Immigrants Eating Pets,” All Things Considered, NPR, September 10, 2024, www.npr.org/2024/09/10/nx-s1-5107320/jd-vance-springfield-ohio-haitians-pets; and Kit Maher and Chris Boyette, “JD Vance Defends Baseless Rumor About Haitian Immigrants Eating Pets,” CNN, September 15, 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/09/15/politics/vance-immigrants-pets-springfield-ohio-cnntv/index.html.

379     terrorized Haitians . . . and calling in bomb threats  Macollvie J. Neel, “Haitian Families in Ohio Under Attack as Racist Claims Spread,” Haitian Times, September 11, 2024, haitiantimes.com/2024/09/11/haitian-immigrants-in-ohio-under-racist-attacks/; Isaac Chotiner, “A Haitian Immigrant in Springfield Experiences the Best and Worst of America,” New Yorker, September 24, 2024, www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a-haitian-immigrant-in-springfield-experiences-the-best-and-worst-of-america; and Jessica Orozco and Jeremy P. Kelley, “Springfield City Hall, Schools, County Hit by Bomb Threat Tied to Haitian Issues,” Springfield News-Sun, September 12, 2024, www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/springfield-city-hall-evacuated-due-to-unspecified-threat/LEJGCXXHZRHT3HH3HYHABRZGT4/.

379     referenced Springfield  Donald J. Trump, “Live: President Trump in Tucson, AZ,” YouTube, September 12, 2024, www.youtube.com/live/TSKB6PsSoss?si=WBXA6U3dq-muCW20, 41:43–42:28.

379     “I'm angry about young American girls. . . ” Donald J. Trump, “Live: President Trump in Tucson, AZ,” www.youtube.com/live/TSKB6PsSoss?si=WBXA6U3dq-muCW20, 17:39–17:47.