Ohio Senator and Vice Presidential running mate JD Vance engaged in a heated exchange with a reporter over claims about the effects of mass immigration in Springfield, Ohio.

During an interview following Tuesday night’s debate, NBC News reporter Yamiche Alcindor questioned Vance about his comments on migrants and their alleged impact on the city, which many saw as a “gotcha” moment.

The tense exchange quickly went viral, with Vance defending his position and criticizing what he described as a “disconnect” between media narratives and the experiences of Ohio residents.

Springfield, Ohio, a city of 60,000, has reportedly experienced an influx of up to 20,000 Haitian immigrants in recent years. This surge has overwhelmed local services, increased housing prices, and even contributed to mysterious animal disappearances.

During the recent debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump heightened these concerns by claiming, “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats… they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”

The statement ignited controversy, with some officials rejecting the allegations. Nonetheless, numerous Springfield residents have reported disturbing incidents involving local wildlife, sharing their personal observations. What’s more, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Wednesday that he was surging state resources to help the city deal with the influx.

But none of that stopped Alcindor from attempting to shift blame for the problem — caused by the Biden-Harris regime and ignored by “border czar” Kamala Harris for years — to Vance for simply pointing out what his constituents are telling him. “Senator Vance, what do you say to Haitian Americans and Haitian immigrants who say spreading false claims about them puts their lives at risk?” Alcindor, who is with NBC News, asked.

Vance responded calmly but assertively, stating, “No one has spread false claims. What they’ve said is that a small migrant community, 20,000, so it’s big for the city of Springfield, but it’s small compared to all Haitians in the United States of America, has caused a lot of problems. It’s led to higher rates of communicable diseases. That’s a verifiable fact. It’s led to animals disappearing. Many of my constituents have said that has been happening.”

Alcindor then pressed Vance, citing the city manager’s statement that there was “no evidence” of immigrants eating pets. Vance didn’t back down. “The city manager said there’s no verifiable evidence,” he acknowledged, “But a lot of residents on the ground have said that there is. That just means the city manager isn’t fully in touch with what’s going on. I’ve heard from many of my own constituents who have seen these things with their own eyes.”