Florida Rep. Byron Donalds accused CNN of ignoring rising prices hurting Americans under the Biden administration during a back-and-forth clash on the network.
On Thursday’s episode of “The Situation Room,” host Pamela Brown asked the Republican congressman about President Donald Trump’s decision to delay some tariffs on Canada and Mexico and concerns about their impact on prices in the United States.
Donalds argued Trump needed an “opportunity to actually negotiate” with Mexico and Canada and that CNN did not express as much concern over rising costs under former President Joe Biden.
“You gotta give him that opportunity because when prices were rising in the United States, I didn’t hear CNN talking about that much,” Donalds said. “As a matter of fact, you ignored most of it while it was hurting the American people–”
“We did,” Brown interrupted. “We did cover…We did cover that.”
Donalds pushed back, saying that CNN “didn’t cover it the way it needed to be covered,” a claim Brown called “a matter of opinion.”
“You let the last administration get away with it –” Donalds began.
“That is your opinion, but we did [cover it],” Brown insisted.
“But the American people suffered as a result. Oh, no, it’s not my opinion. That’s a fact,” Donalds countered.
“OK, no, it’s not a fact,” Brown said, which ended the segment.
During the Biden administration, inflation rose to a 40-year-high of 9.1% in 2022, leading to record high prices for food, gas and homes throughout his term.
Though CNN reported on rising prices during the Biden administration, there has been some criticism of its reporting in the past.
In August 2022, two months after average gas prices reached $5-per-gallon for the first time ever, CNN was mocked for a piece claiming that prices dropping below $4 should be seen as an “unexpected form of economic stimulus.”
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“Next time you stop at a gas station, think of it as a $100-a-month tax cut. Or a maybe $100-a-month raise,” the article read.
Former CNN host Ana Cabrera also claimed earlier that year that “no one person” can be blamed for gas prices and suggested pointing the finger at Biden was a form of “misinformation.”
“Gas prices have hit a record-high again today, $4.25 a gallon, according to AAA, and that’s up a staggering 60 cents in just one week. And while there is a lot of understandable anger and frustration over the pain at the pump, there’s also a lot of misinformation going around about who or what is responsible,” Cabrera said at the time.
