Oh, wow. Last night, Anderson Cooper hosted none other than Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), the main propagator in Congress of the "terror babies" conspiracy theory -- an alleged diabolical 20- to 30-year plot by terrorists to have babies born in the United States, then taken abroad and trained as terrorists before eventually returning here as U.S. citizens (thanks to birthright citizenship) to commit heinous crimes.
Gohmert previously went to the House floor in June and warned about this evil plan, saying he had heard about it from an unnamed former FBI agent. Then on Wednesday night this week, Cooper hosted an actual former FBI official, who explained that there are no reports of this at all.
Cooper brought Gohmert on last night, and began by asking him whether he had even called the FBI agent. And from there, it turned into a nice one-way shouting match -- that is, Gohmert yelling at Cooper repeatedly. At one point Gohmert did admit that he did not check with the FBI itself: "No, I didn't talk to them, because the point is: when we did the research, we found the hole existed."
At one point, Gohmert was just asking for trouble when he said: "I'm an easy target. You and Jon Stewart can have your fun. But please, at some point look at the gaping hole in our security."
Also, Gohmert said that he promised his former FBI agent source that he would not reveal the man's name. To which Cooper responded: "Well, that's convenient. We have had a former FBI, a high-ranking one on this office who says it's ridiculous."
Gohmert also repeatedly referenced stories about "birth tourism," in which well-off people from other countries time their child's birth to take place here so the child will automatically become a U.S. citizen. This practice does exist, but reportedly encompasses only a few thousand births every year.
A fun exchange:
Gohmert: You have to believe that the terrorists are more stupid than these enterprising people. They say that this business, the so-called birth business -- birth tourism packages are online. Have you looked online? Stay online, all you have to do --
(CROSSTALK)
Cooper: Ok. Sir, again, I am agreeing with you that there are tourists -- sir, you can continue to yell all you want. Again, you're just showing yourself not to have actually any evidence.
What I am saying is, yes, those newspaper articles clearly -- there are many tourists who come here to have babies so they can have U.S. citizenship. Do you have any evidence of terror babies?
And this:
Gohmert: The explosions will not happen for 10 or 15 or 20 years and then you will be one of those blips. I'm not comparable to Winston Churchill, but the detractors like you are comparable to his detractors.
Cooper: Ok.
Gohmert: He tried to tell people these things were going on.
Cooper: All right.
Gohmert: Anderson, do you really believe that the ones that want to destroy the United States are more stupid than these entrepreneurs in China, than these people in Mexico?
And finally, this wonderful kicker for the whole conversation:
Cooper: Sir, you are a former judge. Had somebody done this in your courtroom, you would have asked for evidence, and you have none. I appreciate your time. I appreciate you coming on. I'm disappointed that you did not present evidence.
Gohmert: This isn't a courtroom. We're trying to protect America, Anderson.
Cooper: Everyone wants to protect America, Congressman.
Gohmert: We're trying to protect America. It's not a courtroom.
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