I'm saying his claim doesn't match up with the data that is frequently reported on and therefore requested what corroborating data he was basing his claim on. I

I'm saying his claim doesn't match up with the data that is frequently reported on and therefore requested what corroborating data he was basing his claim on. If I had attempted a rebuttal, I would have directly said his claim was wrong because here's data that directly opposes it. I don't have such data and thus was seeking clarification.