House Speaker Mike Johnson defended a colleague who had attacked Haitian immigrants online, adding that the House believes in redemption.

Johnson stood by Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana, who had come under criticism for a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he has since deleted.

The post accused Haitians of “eating pets, playing Vudu,” adding, “This is the worst country in the Western Hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters.”

The post, which was screenshotted and then deleted by Punchbowl News reporter Melanie Zanona, went on to say that Haitians are filing charges against “our president and vice president.”

This presumably does not refer to incumbent President and Vice President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, but to candidates Donald Trump and JD Vance, who are named in the allegations by the advocacy group Haitian Bridge Alliance for disrupting public service due to the threats they made after their rhetoric against the Haitian community became known worldwide.

Higgins concluded his post by urging Haitians to leave the United States by January 20, Inauguration Day.

When asked by reporters, spokesman Johnson said he had not seen the tweet but said Higgins was a good friend of his.

He said of his colleague from Louisiana: “He is a very open and frank person, but also a man of principles.”

Johnson said Higgins was approached in the room by colleagues who called it offensive. Johnson said Higgins then “prayed about it, regretted it and took the post down.”

Johnson added that Higgins probably regrets some of his wording, but “we’re moving on. We believe in reparations here.”

Congressman Higgins was contacted via email outside of his working hours for comment.

Johnson was one of Higgins’ few defenders when other GOP members spoke out against his post.

Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York’s 97th district said on X: “Haitians are good and honorable people who make a great contribution to our country.”

As a representative of one of the largest Haitian diasporas in the country, I know this firsthand. No one should attack or belittle them. Let’s do better.”

In addition, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida’s 19th congressional district told reporters that he had a “productive conversation” with Higgins in which he told the congressman that the content of his post was “not a good statement.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the post in a statement, saying: “Clay Higgins’ disgusting statement about the Haitian community is abhorrent, racist, and beneath the dignity of the United States House of Representatives.”

“He must be held accountable for his dishonorable conduct, which is unworthy of a member of Congress.”

Jeffries also called Higgins a “conspiracy-theory-spreading racist arsonist.”

Representative Steven Horsford of Nevada, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, also filed a motion to censure Higgins for the language used in his speech.

This post by Congressman Higgins was the latest in a flood of anti-Haitian messages that began when Ohio Senator and Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance shared a post falsely claiming Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio were eating people’s pets. Donald Trump also referenced this story in his televised debate with Kamala Harris.

This claim was called false by local politicians, including Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. It was also refuted by Springfield police, who said: Newsweek on September 10 that there were “no credible reports” of migrants eating pets in the area.

And the Donald Trump supporter who filed a police report accusing Haitians of stealing and eating her cat found her pet alive and well hidden in her own basement.

As the Haitian Bridge Alliance’s lawsuit states, the history of Haitians eating pets has led to dangerous threats in the region, including more than 30 bomb threats.

Newsweek Additionally, it was previously reported that a Haitian man in Springfield said he was called a racist slur twice in one week due to disinformation about migrants.