Vivek Ramaswamy was asked about Donald Trump's claim of Hatian immigrants eating pets while addressing reporters in Springfield, Ohio.

Ramaswamy, who spent much of his presidential campaign running into any news cycle that remotely validated his campaign’s anti-illegal immigration rhetoric, was something of a latecomer to the unfolding story in Springfield, where he spoke of growing up and playing tennis at nearby Wittenberg University and getting subs at Mike And Rosy’s Deli.

Earlier that day, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue, a Republican, revealed he would be “fine” if Trump skipped a visit as “it would be an extreme strain on our resources.” Mayor Rue, City Manager Bryan Heck and Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine have all repeatedly debunked the claim.