Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fl., battled with CNN commentators and hosts Anderson Cooper, Van Jones and Alyssa Farah Griffin after the network aired a live town hall with former President Donald Trump.
"Town halls are for the voters, not for the press or the person who is the moderator," Donalds said, slamming CNN host Kaitlan Collins for imposing her own views on the public during Wednesday night’s town hall featuring Trump.
"Kaitlan spent more time interjecting her own viewpoints or her own views on the situation," Donalds said before Cooper interrupted him. "Those are actually facts though," the CNN veteran told Donalds.
TRUMP CALLS CNN'S KAITLAN COLLINS A 'NASTY PERSON' DURING TOWN HALL CLASH
"Hold on," Donalds shot back, "are you guys now going to interject your views on me, or do I get a chance to speak?" Donalds said as Cooper continued to speak in the background.
"If you’re speaking falsely, those are facts," Cooper told Donalds.
Donalds also criticized Collins’ focus on the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol and Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was "rigged."
"Voters want to talk about the border, inflation, foreign policy," Donalds said as multiple CNN panelists asked if he believed the 2020 presidential election was legitimate.
"This is what’s frustrating to a lot of people. You want me to state it the way you want me to state it," Donalds said.
"Most voters are frankly kind of tired of y'all," Donalds also told the CNN panel, arguing that American voters were more interested in inflation and crime than on the 2020 election.
Donalds’ wife, Erika Donalds, defended him on Twitter after his appearance on CNN Wednesday.
"So proud of my husband on CNN tonight, interjecting large doses of TRUTH in the middle of their ridiculous biases and rude interruptions."
Trump's town hall appearance has inflamed his opponents online, with anti-Trump Lincoln Project founder Rick Wilson saying that the event was a "unf---ing believable" and a "disaster of the highest f---ing degree." Wilson also said that Trump has cemented himself as the clear frontrunner and Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential race.
The clip of Donalds arguing with the CNN panel after Trump’s town hall special has gone viral online, picking up over 1.1 million views and 18,400 likes on Twitter alone.
"The American people aren't speaking about the 2020 election, a liable case after 25+ years, or January 6th. They are talking about the price of gas/groceries, fentanyl killing Americans 18-45, crime in the streets, & the fear of WWIII. CNN's top issues aren't America's," Donalds tweeted after his CNN appearance.
