An interview on CNN with Jerome Corsi — one of the 81 named on Monday in the sweeping Democratic probe — took an odd turn on Monday when talk turned to President Barack Obama‘s birth certificate.

It all started after host Anderson Cooper noted that Corsi has “been an advocate of many conspiracy theories, from President Obama not being born in the U.S. To, you know, the questions about what really happened on 9/11.”

Corsi insisted that he never wrote about 9/11 before his lawyer interjected to say Obama’s birth certificate appears to be fraudulent.

“Anderson, let me say one thing here about the birth certificate,” Corsi’s lawyer Larry Klayman said. “The birth certificate, there’s been forensic analysis on that. He never said that Obama was born in another country. But the birth certificate appears to be fraudulent.”

“You’re saying forensic analyst by people linked with Joe Arpaio,” Cooper pressed. “Is that the forensic analysis you’re talking about?”

“There’s other forensic analyses, the birth certificate uses the word ‘African-American’ in 1961,” Klayman continued on. “That term was not used until Jesse Jackson…”

“So you don’t believe that President Obama was born in the United States?” Cooper pressed harder.

“That’s not what I said,” Klayman replied. “I said the birth certificate, there’s forensic analysis that it’s fraudulent. Don’t beat up on my client because of that. It’s inappropriate. Do some research.”

That is when Corsi chimed back in.

“I said, and Larry’s right on this, I want to see the original 1961 birth records from Kenya,” Corsi told Cooper, after stressing he doesn’t readily believe government explanations.

Then after a bit of back and forth, Cooper asked this: “So I guess the question is, given your record on, you know, on Obama’s birth certificate, on the Seth Rich matter, why should people believe you?”

That did not sit well with Corsi’s lawyer.

“Wait a second. There’s nothing wrong with his record on the Obama birth certificate, Anderson. Don’t twist things. We came on your show…” an irritated Klayman snapped back.

“Let me say something!” Klayman added. “We came on your show, I think you’re more honest than the rest of the people on CNN.”

“You made this apology just today,” Cooper replied. “It would be irresponsible of me not to ask you about it.”

” I don’t object to you asking about it,” Corsi then said, before the interview was brought to an awkward close.

Watch above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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