In a contentious interview on Thursday, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) clashed with CNN host John Berman over coverage of recent remarks made by former President Donald Trump about protecting women from the dangers associated with the U.S.-Mexico border crisis.

Donalds challenged Berman’s use of a brief clip of Trump, calling it “grossly inaccurate” and accusing CNN of taking Trump’s comments out of context to mislead viewers.

The dispute began when Berman played a truncated clip in which Trump stated he would “protect women whether they like it or not.”

Trump: I told women I will be their protector. They said, ‘Sir, please don’t say that.’ Well I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not pic.twitter.com/LLWFa2NtQr

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 31, 2024

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The statement, according to Donalds, was made in the context of Trump’s promise to protect women and children from rising crime tied to illegal immigration. “John, that is grossly inaccurate what you just played. Play the full clip. Play it in its context,” Donalds responded.

LIE: Trump said he would take women’s rights away whether they like it or not.

TRUTH: Trump was talking about protecting Americans from the criminals that Kamala let in our country.

We have the full context.

Here is the number of criminals, based on their crime, that Kamala… pic.twitter.com/BjrVjjBvI4

— KamalaHQLies (@KamalaHQLies) October 31, 2024

He clarified that Trump’s statement referenced the tragic death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, whose mother recently endorsed Trump, believing her daughter would still be alive had Trump been in office.

Donalds further elaborated, “What [Trump] was talking about is, ‘I’m gonna protect women, I’m gonna protect children,’ and he was really telling a joke about how some of the staff said, ‘No, no, don’t say you’ll protect women because they’ll take it out of context.’ Obviously, what CNN is doing right now, is taking it out of context.”

Berman defended CNN’s portrayal, insisting they had accurately represented Trump’s comments. “Congressman, you just explained the exact right context… people close to him, his advisers, were telling him not to use that type of language to say, ‘I’m going to be your protector,’” Berman said.

He also referenced recent criticism from former Republican candidate Nikki Haley, who questioned Trump’s ability to appeal to female voters with his current rhetoric.

Donalds, in response, listed tragic cases tied to immigration, including the deaths of Jocelyn Nungaray, nursing student Laken Riley, and 37-year-old Rachel Morin, all allegedly killed by illegal immigrants.

He highlighted these cases as examples of failures in current immigration policy. “Donald Trump is going to protect women in our country. He is going to protect children in our country,” Donalds asserted, urging Berman to discuss the broader issue of immigration policies under the Biden-Harris administration. He added, “This is why the American people frankly are frustrated with media because you guys play games, you take things out of context, you don’t explain them clearly, and you want to get caught up in some antics.”

Donalds pointed out that Trump’s remarks were a critique of current policies that have allowed an influx of migrants without adequate vetting, accusing the Biden-Harris administration of failing to protect women and children from the risks associated with unchecked border crossings.

According to recent data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), illegal border encounters have exceeded 2 million annually for three consecutive fiscal years under the current administration, surpassing numbers seen during Trump’s tenure.

In the rally where the comments were made, Trump shared that advisers had warned him that his stance on protecting women might not resonate well, yet he emphasized his commitment to this message. “He’s gonna protect the women of our country because Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have refused to protect the women of our country,” Donalds said.

Federal policies currently allow the Department of Homeland Security to release certain migrants into the U.S. on “parole” for humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, an approach many Republican-led states have challenged.

The debate over immigration policy and border security has become a focal point as the 2024 election approaches, with both Trump and his supporters emphasizing stricter measures to ensure public safety.