PDR Posse’s poet laureate, Tom Czarnik, recited his latest prescient limerick about the latest racist conspiracy Trump is promoting about Haitians eating cats, dogs, and other pets in their community in Springfield, Ohio.
Tom Czarnick Limerick: Trump conspiracy on Haitians eating pets.
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The intersection of politics and art often produces moments of levity amidst the serious work of dismantling oppressive structures. One such moment was delivered by Tom Czarnik, the poet laureate of Politics Done Right (PDR), a progressive radio show and video platform. Every first Saturday of the month, the show’s audience, affectionately known as the PDR Posse, engages in a live discussion where participants ask Willies about current events, dissect political issues, and—if lucky—are treated to Czarnik’s latest sharp and satirical limerick.
In a recent session, Czarnik offered a biting limerick that encapsulates the absurdity and danger of the right-wing conspiratorial mindset, specifically focusing on Donald Trump’s rhetoric and the unhinged, xenophobic conspiracy theories surrounding Haitian migrants:
Trump claims he’s a winner who never loses
Those who cry no, of crimes he accuses
Haitians he says will eat your cat and other pets
MAGA responds with dangerous bomb and death threats
When the latest weird conspiracy theory Trump chooses
Fantasy with reality the right wing often confuses.
This limerick highlights how Trump’s populist rhetoric, mixed with xenophobic fear-mongering, is not only absurd but has real-world consequences. Trump’s baseless accusations—like Haitians eating pets—are part of a broader strategy to dehumanize marginalized groups, stoke fear, and galvanize his base. The escalation of conspiracy theories into threats of violence, as Czarnik aptly points out, is a recurring theme in MAGA culture.
What’s particularly striking in the limerick is how Czarnik captures Trump’s perpetual victimhood, a man who claims to “never lose,” yet spends much of his time accusing others of wrongdoings. This victim mentality, however, isn’t just a quirk of Trump’s personality but a fundamental aspect of the broader right-wing worldview. Conspiracy theories like QAnon, which was embraced by a significant faction of Trump supporters, thrive on this victim narrative. It is always “the elites” or “the immigrants” or some other faceless “other” who are blamed for the supposed downfall of America. By projecting an image of an external enemy, Trump creates an “us versus them” dichotomy that allows for the MAGA crowd to direct their frustration outward—toward Haitians, Democrats, progressives, and anyone not in line with their vision of America.
Trump’s infamous comments about Haitians, once claiming they “all have AIDS” and are coming to the U.S. to “infest” the country, reflect a broader nativist sentiment that has permeated his political rhetoric. His ability to reduce entire nationalities to grotesque stereotypes, as Czarnik points out in the limerick, is not merely a dog whistle; it’s a bullhorn for hate. The notion that Haitian immigrants would eat pets is not just absurd. Still, it’s also deeply racist, tapping into the long history of dehumanizing Black people by associating them with animals or other “primitive” practices.
These conspiracies aren’t just about ignorance; they are political tools. By spreading unfounded rumors and lies, Trump and his allies seek to maintain a stranglehold on power. Czarnik’s limerick cleverly illustrates how Trump’s propaganda machine doesn’t need facts—fantasy is more useful. The most egregious falsehoods are often the ones that get repeated the most because they fuel the right-wing ecosystem. From Fox News to fringe internet forums, these falsehoods proliferate, reaching millions of Americans who have been conditioned to distrust mainstream media and any information that contradicts their worldview.
Czarnik’s wordplay also points to the lethal consequences of these conspiracy theories. The death threats that often accompany right-wing discourse, as evidenced by the insurrection on January 6, 2021, are not isolated incidents. These threats and acts of violence are the natural outcomes of a movement that has been radicalized by years of misinformation. Trump’s influence has taken a toll on American political discourse, where violent fantasies and apocalyptic predictions about immigrants and progressives dominate right-wing spaces. The fact that MAGA supporters continue to see these conspiracies as truths despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary speaks to the dangerous power of disinformation.
The broader context of this transcript reflects the mission of Politics Done Right and progressive platforms like it: to deconstruct the news and make sense of the world in a way that cuts through the noise of misinformation. The goal is not just to report the news but to “parse it into a form that everybody can understand.” This work is more important than ever in an era where disinformation spreads rapidly, often with deadly consequences. Platforms like Politics Done Right serve as critical counterweights to the right-wing noise machine, offering fact-based analysis, debunking myths, and promoting a message of inclusivity and justice.
As progressives continue to combat the toxic spread of conspiracy theories and xenophobia, moments like Czarnik’s limerick remind us of the power of satire to highlight the absurdity of these dangerous ideas. Through humor and insight, Czarnik exposes the fragility of Trump’s populist rhetoric. The PDR Posse works tirelessly to promote a vision of America grounded in facts, equity, and truth.
This is not just a battle over policy—it’s a battle over reality itself.