'Deep-state conspiracy crank': CNN panel hands Rick Santorum his ass for ranting memo conspiracy theories

Conservative CNN contributor Rick Santorum got shot down on a CNN panel on Sunday after he asserted that there was a conspiracy between President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and the FBI to take down Donald Trump.

During an panel discussion on CNN's State of the Union, host Jake Tapper asked Santorum if he agreed with Donald Trump Jr. that the controversial GOP memo smearing the FBI's Russia was "sweet revenge" for Trump supporters.

"The FBI is to blame here," Santorum said. "You can say this is partisan attempt by Republicans, but it's a partisan attempt to counter a narrative that's out there."

Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) took issue with Santorum's attack on the FBI.

"When you say the FBI has been hiding information, it gives this whole deep-state conspiracy crank stuff more oxygen," she insisted.

"When you say stuff like that, when the president says the stuff he does," Granholm continued, "you've got a poll out this weekend that says 38 percent of Republicans have an unfavorable view of the FBI, which has plummeted."

According to Santorum, Republicans "see this as a real problem within the Obama administration politicizing, not just the DOJ, but the IRS and every other agency of government to come after conservatives and Republicans."

"Oh my God!" Granholm exclaimed. "These were Republican FISA judges [who approved surveillance on a former Trump staffer], all appointed by George Bush, there were four of them. The head of the FBI is a Republican appointed by Trump. This is like Alice in Wonderland. It is totally topsy-turvy."

"If they were really in the tank for Hillary Clinton as you're suggesting," she told Santorum. "Why wouldn't they have leaked that there was an investigation ongoing about Donald Trump instead of 10 days before the election, a memo comes out about Hillary Clinton's emails. It is a ridiculous argument."

Watch the video below from CNN.