Wednesday 2 November 2022 09:04 PM Don Bolduc doubles down on false claim about school litter trays for students ... trends now Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc insists parents have told him schools are installing litter boxes for students who identify as cats - and officials need to prove him wrong even though the claim has been debunked Don Bolduc is running for the Senate in a tight race in New Hampshire In audio obtained by CNN, he railed against 'furries' licking themselves at school He was challenged about the claims - which are based on an urban myth And he doubled down, insisting that he had been told it was happening I'm only articulating what I heard from Granite Staters, parents, children' By Rob Crilly, Senior U.S. Political Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 19:59 GMT, 2 November 2022 | Updated: 21:02 GMT, 2 November 2022 35 Viewcomments Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc Wednesday doubled down on claims about schools giving litter trays to students who identify as cats - even though it is based on an urban myth that has been debunked. Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general who is challenging Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire, shared the hoax at a weekend event. Fact checkers say the bogus claim is based on reports that some schools have stocked up on litter trays in case children are locked for hours inside classrooms during an active shooter event. When Bolduc was challenged about his claim on Wednesday he took care not to say that it was true. Instead he said it was what he had been told. 'So what I was talking about is all the craziness going on in our schools. And this is just one of them,' he told NBC News. 'And I had a parent and a student in that audience who came up to me and told me all about it. I've had that all across the state. 'So I'm only articulating what I heard from Granite Staters, parents, children.' NEW: Don Bolduc- only to @NBCNews says the school he accused of using litter boxes for children who identify as animals needs to "prove" the claim wrong.He tells me a parent and a student told him it was happening and he is "not backing down." pic.twitter.com/s7CLx09uu2 — Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) November 2, 2022 Don Bolduc is running for the Senate in New Hampshire. On Wednesday he defended his claims about schools giving litter trays to students who identify as cats His language was more careful than he was at a recent campaign event when he railed against 'furries and fuzzies' being allowed to 'lick themselves' in classrooms. Instead he denounced schools for lying about teaching 'critical race theory' and transgender issues. 'I'm not backing down,' he said. 'Okay, you got the wrong guy. 'Just because they say it, they need to prove it. Prove it. I got parents and kids telling me.' Culture war battles over gender identity and education have seen the litter tray hoax picked up by a range of Republican politicians. At a lunch for Republican women in Colorado last month, Rep. Laurent Boebert claimed schools were 'putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats.' A candidate for governor in Minnesota, Scott Jensen a month earlier reportedly asked during a campaign stop: 'Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry?' Joe Rogan brought it up on his popular podcast. The debunked rumor has a long online life, and has been picked up by conservatives trying to make a point about education and gender identity - triggering ridicule A recent NBC News review found at least 20 conservative candidates or elected officials had made similar claims. Yet although 'furries' exist as a subculture of people who like to dress in animal costumes, school districts have repeatedly denied that litter trays have ever been used to cater for children who identify as cats. But one school district in Colorado told NBC that it had included cat litter in 'go buckets' that contain emergency supplies in case students are locked in a classroom during a shooting. That has not stopped the myth continuing to flare up on social media and in conservative speeches on gender identity and education. CNN obtained audio of Bolduc making similar claims 'Guess what? We have furries and fuzzies in classrooms,' he told the crowd. 'They lick themselves, they’re cats. 'When they don’t like something, they hiss – people walk down the hallway and jump out,” he said, as a hissing sound could be heard. 'And get this, get this: They’re putting litter boxes, right? Litter boxes for that. …' Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility