CNN's Jeffrey Lord: Birther Attacks On President Obama's Citizenship Are “Not Racist”

Lord: “I Am Not Kidding”

From the November 15 edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360:

Video file

JONATHAN TASINI: You asked, did Donald Trump do anything in the campaign that would have inspired -- I want to call them the extreme right, I think it's wrong to call them the alt-right, and I would say at least two things. First of all, Donald Trump promoted the birther movement, for many --

JEFFREY LORD: Which is not racist.

TASINI: It is.

[...]

LORD: -- Five white guys --

TASINI: No, no if you think the birther movement, which doubted whether President Obama was born in the United States --

LORD: Yeah?

TASINI: And that he was some, in addition, as a side thing, a secret Muslim, is not racist -- it is absolutely racist.

LORD: So, again -- again, when this was said of Chester Allen Arthur being born in Canada, that was racist?

TASINI: Allen Arthur? Are you kidding me?

LORD: I am not kidding.

TASINI: Is this a comedy show, Jeff?

LORD: John McCain?

TASINI: Let me give a second example. The second example --

ANDERSON COOPER (HOST): I don't even know how to transition. I don't know.

Previously:

CNN's John Avlon Calls Out Trump Apologist Jeffrey Lord For Indulging Trump's Ted Cruz Birtherism

After He Made Birther Remarks, CNN's Corey Lewandowski Nightmare Is Now A National Embarrassment

CNN's Jeffrey Lord Says Moderators Shouldn't Fact Check Because Media Didn't Adopt Trump's Birther Lie