Chris Christie jumps down Jake Tapper's throat for stating fact: Trump 'clung to the birther lie'

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), chairman of Donald Trump's transition team, falsely asserted on Sunday that the Republican presidential nominee accepted that President Barack Obama was a U.S. citizen after he produced his birth certificate in 2011.

Over the weekend, CNN host Jake Tapper pointed out correctly to Christie during an interview that Trump refused to accept the president's birth certificate and "clung to the birther lie for years."

"He still isn't apologetic about it," Tapper noted. "Do you understand why so many people, including African-Americans, are upset with him over this issue."

"Donald has now made his position on it clear," Christie said, referring to Trump's recent unapologetic admission that Obama was a U.S. citizen. "After the president presented his birth certificate, Donald has said he was born in the United States and that's the end of the issue."

The New Jersey governor added the false suggestion that Hillary Clinton "also injected" the birtherism into her 2008 campaign "in a very quiet but direct way."

"So, the birther issue is a done issue," he insisted. "Donald Trump has said it's a done issue now."

"Just as a point of fact," Tapper replied, "Donald Trump did not accept when Barack Obama released his birth certificate in 2011. He kept up this whole birther thing until Friday, that's five years."

"That's just not true," Christie shot back. "It's just not true that he kept it up for five years."

"Sure he did," Tapper stated.

"It's just not true," Christie continued.

"It is true," the CNN host said.

"No, Jake," Christie opined. "It wasn't like he was talking about it on a regular basis until then. And when the issue was raised, he made very clear the other day what he position is."

"Okay," Tapper concluded wearily.

Watch the video below from CNN, broadcast Sept. 18, 2016.