CNN convened yet another panel with Jeffrey Lord on it, as if the nation needs more of his ridiculous history rewrites and racism denials. Predictably, he did what he does, which is to gaslight viewers as well as the panel he was on.

In a discussion about whether Donald Trump did anything to inspire the extremists who are now empowered to be racist and sexist, Jonathan Tasini offered his opinion that Trump promoted the birther movement.

Lord interjected, "Which is not racist."

Tasini's head nearly hit the desk as the rest of the panel laughed, but Lord had his gaslight ammo ready.

Lord asked, "So, again -- again, when this was said of Chester Allen Arthur being born in Canada, that was racist?"

Wow. He really had to reach back for that. Chester Arthur was the 21st president, taking office after the assassination of James Garfield.

Flipping the switch, he jumped to John McCain. Of course, we might all recall that Senator McCain was born to military parents serving in Panama at the time, and the Senate passed a resolution confirming his citizenship.

Anderson Cooper was so taken aback all he could say is that he "had no idea how to transition."

Questions about President Obama's citizenship continued to lag on, even after he was elected. The controversy had mostly died down when Donald Trump raised it again. And again. And again.

So yes, it was racist. It was absolutely racist, as is Donald Trump and his merry band of thieves about to inhabit the White House. But Jeffrey Lord is only Lord of the Gaslight, something he does constantly and to the detriment of viewers.

[h/t Media Matters]