Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds confronted CNN on Thursday, accusing the network of applying a double standard when covering economic issues under President Donald Trump compared to the Biden administration.
Donalds’ remarks came during an interview with CNN host Pamela Brown, where he responded to concerns about Trump’s recently announced tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China.
During the interview, Brown asked Donalds about the potential negative effects of Trump’s tariff policies on the U.S. economy and businesses.
Donalds pushed back, accusing CNN of ignoring the inflation crisis under former President Joe Biden while now choosing to focus on Trump’s economic policies.
“Well, look, I’m gonna repeat myself a little bit here. It is important that we stabilize not just our economic relationships around the globe, but also the fact that we gotta secure our border and stop the flow of fentanyl,” Donalds said.
“Give Donald Trump the opportunity to actually negotiate with the Mexican president and with Canada and with China, you ought to give them that opportunity. Because when prices were rising in the United States, I didn’t hear CNN talking about that much, in fact, you ignored most of it while it was hurting the American people. So let the president negotiate on tariff policy and it’s going to work out.”
Brown pushed back, insisting that CNN did cover inflation during Biden’s presidency.
“You didn’t cover it the way it needed to be covered, let’s just be perfectly honest,” Donalds responded.
“You let the last administration get away with it and the American people suffered as a result.”
Brown dismissed his claim, saying, “That is your opinion, but we did.”
Donalds immediately countered, “Oh no, it’s not my opinion. That’s a fact.”
Trump announced new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China earlier this week in response to illegal immigration and the fentanyl crisis. His administration imposed:
- 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada
- 20% tariffs on China
However, on Thursday, Trump announced that tariffs on Mexican imports covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) would be postponed until April 2.
He described the delay as an “accommodation” for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
When Trump initially proposed the tariffs in February, both Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by stepping up their enforcement efforts.
- Mexico deployed 10,000 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Trudeau pledged $1.3 billion to enhance Canada’s border security and appointed a “Fentanyl Czar” to curb drug trafficking.
Under Biden’s administration, inflation surged from 1.4% in January 2021 to a peak of 9% in 2022.
While corporate media largely defended Biden at the time, outlets have since become increasingly critical of Trump over high consumer prices.
CNN, for example, published an August 2021 article attempting to “fact-check” Republicans for blaming Biden on inflation. In June 2024, ABC News called the connection between Biden and rising prices “misleading.”
In May 2024, CNN’s Erin Burnett did not challenge Biden when he falsely claimed that inflation was already at 9% when he entered office—even though Trump left office with inflation at just 1.4%.
Liberal media figures have also downplayed Biden’s role in inflation. In June 2022, The View’s Whoopi Goldberg defended Biden, insisting he was doing “all he could” to lower prices.
Sunny Hostin, another co-host, claimed Biden had “little control” over inflation since it was a “global issue.”
With Trump now enforcing tariffs, the same media outlets that once shielded Biden from criticism are now openly attacking Trump’s trade policies.
Rep. Donalds’ remarks reflect growing Republican frustration with what they view as media bias in economic reporting.