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