'So slavery is funny?': CNN guest goes off the rails when he tries to defend Trump's racist tweet

CNN contributor Steve Cortes tried desperately to defend President Donald Trump's latest disgraceful tweet on "Anderson Cooper 360" Monday night, but his arguments were repeatedly shot down by the host and analyst Kirsten Powers.

At issue was Trump's retweet of Jerry Falwell Jr.:

Cortes tried defend the idea that the Russia investigation was an "attempted coup."

"Well, it was," Cortes said.

"Really? Really?" said Cooper. "Wow. Wow."

Powers later pointed out that, in fact, nothing that has happened in the United States since Trump's election is close to meeting the definition of a coup. Even if the Russia investigation had led to Trump's impeachment and removal, it would have meant replacing him with Vice President Mike Pence, his hand-picked successor — which is not how coups work.

Powers then argued that the tweet was also inherently racist, given that it clearly makes light of the current debate about whether African Americans should get reparations for the history of slavery and discrimination in the United States.

"It's a joke!" said Cortes.

"Oh, so slavery is funny?" said Powers. "That's what you're saying?"

"No!" said Cortes, defensively. "Slavery's not — you're injecting slavery into it."

Watch the clip below: