GOP lawmaker injects CNN panel with dose of reality for focusing on past issues: 'Tired of y'all bringing this up'

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) made it clear on Wednesday how the media are out of touch with everyday Americans.

The CNN town hall with former President Donald Trump largely focused on issues of the past: the 2020 presidential election, Jan. 6, and what happened during Trump's presidency.

Speaking on a CNN panel after the town hall, Donalds criticized the town hall for devoting significant attention to issues of the past rather than focusing on issues that voters most care about, namely those that impact their day-to-day lives, like the economy, crime, and the border crisis.

"Let me say this: We spent 20, 22, 23 minutes, talking about Jan. 6. We could have been talking about a whole lot of other issues, instead of doing that, for the first half hour or so," Donalds said.

Host Anderson Cooper and commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin took issue with Donalds' point. At one point or another, both directly asked Donalds if he accepts the results of the 2020 election, while Cooper declared that "yes," the media will continue to talk about the 2020 election.

"Let me tell you why most voters are frankly kind of tired of y'all bringing this up. Inflation, border —" Donalds told the panel while being repeatedly interrupted. "Voters want to talk about inflation, the border, fentanyl, the debt ceiling, foreign policy."

"The nation is a mess. Our border is overrun. Inflation is crippling every family, Republican, Democrat, Independent. Those are the facts of the matters in 2024," Donalds later said.

Despite his efforts, the panel repeatedly focused on past issues involving Trump, like Jan. 6 and the 2020 presidential campaign.

"At the end of the day, this is always going to be at the hands of the voters," Donalds told his panel-mates.

After the heated segment, Donalds took to Twitter to make his point yet again.

"The American people aren't speaking about the 2020 election, a liable case after 25+ years, or January 6th," he tweeted. "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."

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