I assumed, unreflectively, that he had made up the whole thing, simply because for a long time that’s what I would have done.
Is it possible that many on the far right don't believe science or facts about how people live because they've got a fabulist streak in themselves? They're so used to lying about basic facts about themselves that their first thought is that "everyone else is doing it".
Now compound this with their utter lack of context as well as their privilege and you've got a terrific cocktail for bad decisions.