A tense CNN interview between co-host Boris Sanchez and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) quickly turned into an embarrassing [1] moment for the anchor after he struggled to defend his argument and mistakenly referred to the congresswoman by the wrong name.
During Friday’s segment on CNN News Central, McClain joined Sanchez to discuss President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade policies, particularly the impact of tariffs on Canada.
The exchange became contentious almost immediately, with Sanchez attempting to challenge McClain’s stance on the economic effects of Trump’s tariffs.
At one point, Sanchez accused McClain of claiming that Democrats were working with auto company executives to create fear about rising prices due to the tariffs.
McClain quickly pushed back, saying Sanchez was putting words in her mouth. When Sanchez doubled down, McClain did not hold back.
“All you need to do is turn on your TV, look at your show,” McClain said, as Sanchez scoffed.
“It’s all the Democrats do.”
She then pressed him on the state of the economy, asking, “What’s inflation doing? (Is it) up or down?” before answering, “It’s down.”
She continued listing economic factors: “What’s the price of eggs? Oh, they’re down. What’s the price of mortgages? Oh, it’s down.”
McClain then criticized CNN’s coverage, saying, “But we don’t cover the positive things. We only cover the negative things to get people worked up.”
The congresswoman went on to explain that while there are concerns about tariffs, they could also be part of a long-term strategy.
“This could be a potential problem, but it could be a potential long-term solution,” McClain stated.
“But when you don’t cover the other half… Of course, that’s what you’re going to hear—the negative.”
Sanchez, appearing flustered, attempted to interject but stumbled over his words, saying, “Chairwoman, I, I,” before freezing up.
McClain continued pressing him. “That’s what real news people used to do, give both sides of the story,” she said.
“Instead of getting people all ginned up… Let’s talk about the vision on which we’re actually trying to do, which is putting America on the course to being respected again.”
As the interview concluded, Sanchez made an awkward mistake while trying to wrap up the segment.
“Chairwoman, thank you so much for joining us,” Sanchez said.
“I wish you would watch our show more often because you would see that we do have both sides on. Specifically, that’s why you’re on the air today, to present that side. That’s what we do here at CNN, uh, Chairwoman Linda McClain.”
McClain quickly corrected him. “Lisa, thank you,” she responded.
🚨 REPUBLICAN LISA MCCLAIN CALLS OUT FAKE NEWS CNN — UNPREPARED SECOND-RATE ANCHOR GETS FLUSTERED AND FORGETS HER NAME!
MCCLAIN: ” Look at your show. It’s nothing but fear-mongering!”
CNN: “I wish you would watch our show more often, because you would see that we do have both… pic.twitter.com/AG9IW2N2g3 [2]
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 14, 2025 [3]
The moment, in which Sanchez misidentified his guest at the end of an already tense exchange, underscored the heated nature of the interview and became a viral clip on social media.