Rep. Eric Swalwell had a Congressional hearing moment to remember on Tuesday, when he found himself baffled by House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan. Jordan’s tweet had featured an AI-generated image of Donald Trump rescuing cats and ducks, sparking an unexpected exchange, as reported by Real Clear Politics.

The Judiciary Committee Republicans posted a tweet with the image, captioned, “Protect our ducks and kittens!”

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The post referenced rumors that Haitian refugees in Springfield, Ohio, were supposedly eating stray cats and ducks—a claim that lacks solid evidence and raises eyebrows for its outlandishness.

The hearing, titled “The Biden-Harris Border Crisis: Victim Perspectives,” took a surprising turn when Swalwell brought out a printed version of the Trump image, blown up on posterboard. With an incredulous expression, Swalwell directed his remarks to the committee, asking, “Are you serious?”

Feb 23, 2024; National Harbor, MD, USA; Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman, U.S. House Judiciary Committee, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY

Swalwell, not amused, pressed forward, addressing the witnesses. “This issue is serious,” he said, pointing to the picture. “They are not serious.”

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Swalwell then highlighted a tweet from Jordan posted the day before the hearing, which read, “When President Trump was in office, the border was secure, and illegal aliens weren’t eating your pets.”

In disbelief, Swalwell pointed out that this was posted in light of a hearing where grieving families were coming to discuss their losses. He laid into Jordan with, “What the hell is this? … ‘Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio!’ because he goes down some crazy rabbit hole, completely debunked, that aliens are eating pets. My God, are you OK, Mr. Chairman?”

Swalwell continued, “I don’t know why you would do this. I hope you are okay. I don’t know if the aliens who are eating your ducks are in the room with us right now… I am sorry that you came here expecting seriousness.”

The hearing, which was meant to tackle pressing border security concerns, was thoroughly overshadowed by the ridiculous and attention-seeking social media antics coming from the committee’s leadership.

Swalwell’s visible frustration made it clear how these absurd distractions cheapened the seriousness of the discussion, leading many to speculate whether Jordan’s tweet was part of a calculated political stunt aimed at diverting attention or just a badly timed joke.

Watch the full hearing here: