A Republican senator received a real-time fact-check from a CNN anchor as he tried to breathe oxygen into a racist conspiracy theory promoted by former President Donald Trump at the debate Tuesday night.
"In Springfield, they're eating the dogs, they're eating the cats," Trump said, repeating a theory previously floated by running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, that Haitian immigrants are abducting pets and eating them in the Ohio city. "They're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country."
Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee joined CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday night to discuss the debate, telling her that not only did he think Trump won the debate — contrary to what many pundits and experts have said — but that the MAGA leader was "assaulted with all kinds of lies and misinformation."
When Collins asked Hagerty if Trump ought to have avoided the baseless conspiracy theory at the debate, Hagerty appeared to suggest there may be some "evidence."
"You talk about evidence, I've heard conflicting reports — there's conflicting evidence. There's a lot of information on the internet that this is happening," he said. "But here's the real problem —"
The senator couldn't finish the sentence before Collins interjected.
"Yeah but no real credible evidence," she said, citing people living in the city.
Not to be deterred, Hagerty doubled down.
"In Springfield, Ohio, the governor is sending in state troopers and millions of dollars to deal with the problem that's happening across America," he said, pointing to millions of immigrants that he and the GOP have said have flooded over the U.S.-Mexico border.
Hagerty pointed to hospital emergency rooms and schools trying to find teachers who can teach English as a second language.
"We have these problems in my home state of Tennessee," he said, blaming a flood of migrants.
While Collins acknowledged school systems and hospital systems have reported being "overwhelmed," CNN hasn't heard from a single city official in Springfield that Haitian immigrants are abducting pets.
But Hagerty was unconvinced and again dug into the claim.
"City officials aren't the only source," he said. "There are plenty of people saying this is happening. So I think this just needs to be verified."
"We talked to multiple people there," insisted Collins, including the police commissioner and others who said, "There's just no evidence of it."
She later added that while immigration is a "fair point," a "false claim is what people have issue with."
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Hagerty's claim was met with mockery online from critics on X.
"'But I saw it on the internet' has to be the dumbest excuse for pushing a debunked racist conspiracy theory," wrote Kelsie Taggart, digital media director for the Democratic PAC American Bridge. "Republicans need to grow a spine (and brain.)"
"The Party of Lincoln and Reagan has been reduced to 'I saw something online,'" jabbed prominent national security attorney Bradley P. Moss.
In a separate post, Moss rhetorically asked Hagerty, "Have you seen these wild videos on the internet that prove Trump wasn’t actually shot but rather that he staged the entire thing? I know we have official reports from the FBI and Secret Service but this cool YouTube video narrated by a guy who says he knows classified things totally shows that it was all staged. I look forward to you looking into this because, hey, it’s on the internet."
"When it comes to daffy senatorial caucuses, don't sleep on Tennessee," wrote journalist Charles P. Pierce. "That's a low pair that'll bust you."
"Kaitlan Collins refuting Sen. Bill Hagerty's (R-TN) assertion that pets are being kidnapped and eaten. Watch both videos. Hagerty also told her he watched the debate 'very carefully' and thought Trump won. This is a sitting senator," said investigative journalist Victoria Brownworth.
Watch the clip below or at this link.