This Trump-backer finally played the Whitewater card — and Don Lemon let her have it

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) tried her best on Monday night to try to deflect from Donald Trump's birther rhetoric during a discussion with CNN host Don Lemon and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

"I think it is interesting that the Clinton campaign in their desperation reverts to this issue because they don't want to talk about Hillary Clinton's failings," Blackburn told Lemon. "They don't want to talk about Benghazi, the Clinton Foundation. They don't want to go back and talk about 'Travelgate,' Whitewater or any of those things."

"Congresswoman, with all due respect, I know that's what you're here to do as a surrogate," Lemon replied. "But my question was, why do Trump surrogates continue to push something that is completely false, that he continued with the birther issue, and only just giving a 27-second response -- and by the way, the Clinton campaign did not bring it up."

Lemon then pointed out that the Republican presidential nominee told the Washington Post he would address the issue prior to issuing a one-sentence statement his surrogates (like Blackburn) have claimed should conclude any discussion regarding his birther conspiracy theories.

"It was his idea to come out and talk about the issue. It wasn't the Clinton campaign who brought it up," Lemon said.

"He said he was going to address it, and he addressed it," Blackburn insisted. "And he said that he had decided. He had changed his mind or had addressed it, and he moved on. I would like to see the Clinton campaign go back and address some of the questions about Benghazi."

Later in the segment, Granholm pressed Blackburn when she parroted Trump's attempt to blame Clinton for the birther issue.

"Name one comment by Hillary Clinton," Granholm said. "Name one public comment by her campaign. There was no public comment by her campaign. This again is another lie."

"Jennifer, this is something you all think you can push on because you're in the tank," Blackburn responded.

"She's actually stating a fact, Congresswoman Blackburn," Lemon said, cutting in. "Facts do matter. Is there one instance that you can espouse or show of Hillary Clinton publicly pushing the birther issue?"

Watch the discussion, as posted online, below.