CNN commentator -- and of course, member of Trump's Hispanic Advisory Council -- Steve Cortes has been an unwavering defender of migrant family separation ever since it became an issue.

So pardon him if he knew he had to defend Trump last night, but was having a little trouble coming up with words that would not make him look like a total hypocrite.

It's simple, Steve: just say, "I am a toady hack and will back up Donald Trump no matter how confused and unprincipled his actions and policies are."

Fixed it for you.

Except CNN expects it to be a conversation about policy or Cortes wants to pretend it is.

And Ana Navarro can't stop laughing at you.

And here's the rub: Steve Cortes would rather run out the clock letting Ana Navarro taunt him, then have to find ways to flip-flop his own position and stay solid with Trump.

So he interrupts his own turn at talking to ask Ana what is so funny. The act of a really desperate man.

Navarro was happy to take the microphone:

“Seeing you bend yourself into pretzel shapes. I’m laughing at seeing you back peddle and try to get some shred of dignity to the fact that you like so many others on TV. and all over the place defending the indefensible. Now somehow you have to justify and justify the fact this is a backtrack. He pulled the rug out from under you! It’s hilarious! HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Don Lemon was almost out of time...