Rep. Lisa McClain Slams CNN: ‘Look at Your Show; It’s Nothing but Fear-Mongering!’

SANCHEZ: “Chairwoman, I do want to ask you one more question, because your district is right outside of Detroit, one of the hubs of automaking in our country.”

MCCLAIN: “Yeah, yeah.”

SANCHEZ: “Ford’s CEO has lamented what he described as a lot of costs and a lot of chaos from the Trump Administration on auto tariffs.”

MCCLAIN: “Yes.”

SANCHEZ: “There was some back-and-forth. There were some delays. Now they’re set to kick into place in April. What do you tell constituents when you hear automakers say that the cost of certain vehicles is going to skyrocket, it’s going to jump upwards of $12,000 because of these tariffs?”

MCCLAIN: “Yeah. I tell them to relax. Don’t listen to the fearmongering, because the Democrats right now have no vision, they have no plan and they have no — (crosstalk)”

SANCHEZ: “That’s coming from automakers, from folks like the Ford CEO.”

MCCLAIN: “If you don’t mind, I had enough respect to let you talk. So would you like me to answer the question? Or do you want to —“

(Crosstalk)

SANCHEZ: “I just want to clarify. You’re describing it as fearmongering.”

MCCLAIN: “OK.”

SANCHEZ: “What I cited was a Ford CEO.”

MCCLAIN: “Yeah.”

SANCHEZ: “Automakers are the ones saying that these costs are going to jump.”

MCCLAIN: “Yeah. OK, so I will continue with my answer. When the Democrats have no mission, no message, no vision, and no leader, they — all they have is fearmongering, right? That’s what they do. And they talk to the CEOs and they plant these fears in them, no different than when we had to give a bunch of subsidies to EV mandates. You didn’t cover that. Yet, the cost of the vehicles went up dramatically. Yet we had to subsidize those. So the people in my district who I have actually spoken to, as well as the CEOs, they understand that tariffs are a negotiation tool. They are hopeful that we can — under President Trump’s leadership, that we can get fair trade agreements. That’s the goal. We’re tired of getting taken advantage of. So they understand that that’s President Trump’s goal to get fair trading agreements and level the playing field for our employees, for our Americans, and that it might be a little uncomfortable, but, long-term, they know that this will be in their best interest. And they also are smart enough not to take the bait on all the fearmongering. They believe that America — that America will be put on the right path, and that the person to do that is President Trump.”

SANCHEZ: “So —“

MCCLAIN: “Remember, we’re making a massive switch from EV mandates, right, which we had to subsidize, to fair trade. And that’s really what my people in my community and my district want. Thank you.”

SANCHEZ: “Chairwoman, your contention is that Democrats are conspiring with the CEOs of auto companies to scare folks into thinking that prices are going to go up? That’s where those claims come from?”

MCCLAIN: “Your word, not mine.”

SANCHEZ: “Well, you suggested just a moment ago that Democrats and these CEOs were somehow working together to come up with these figures —“

MCCLAIN: “Well, yes.”

SANCHEZ: “— that are a result of tariffs. Is that what you’re suggesting? So, I — that’s what you’re suggesting?

MCCLAIN: “All you need to do is turn — all you need to do is turn on the TV. Look at your show. It’s nothing but fearmongering. That’s all the Democrats do. What’s inflation doing? What’s inflation, up or down? Oh, it’s down. What’s the prices of eggs? Oh, they’re down. What’s the prices of mortgage? Oh, it’s down, right? But we don’t cover the positive things. We only cover the negative things to get everyone worked up. So, here’s two things. This could be a potential problem, but it actually could be a potential long-term solution. But when you don’t want to cover the other half and all you talk about is the one half, of course that’s what you’re going to hear. I would prefer to give both sides of the story.”

SANCHEZ: “Chairwoman, I —“

MCCLAIN: “That’s what real newswomen used to — newspeople used to do, is, they would give both sides of the story. So one side of the story is, yes, potentially, on the short-term, listen, tariffs could cause us some discomfort —“

SANCHEZ: “Sure. Sure.”

MCCLAIN: “— no question. But let’s take a look at the long-term. Do you think there’s any benefits to the long-term? I can share with you that there are benefits to the long-term, if we can get this on a level playing field. And that’s what we need to do.”

SANCHEZ: “Sure.”

MCCLAIN: “Instead of just getting everyone all ginned up about, oh, all the — the sky is falling, the sky is falling, let’s talk about the vision on what we’re actually trying to do —“

SANCHEZ: “Sure.”

MCCLAIN: “ — which is reverse the negative course —“

SANCHEZ: “Chairwoman —“

MCCLAIN: “— and put America on track to be expected again — respected again.”

SANCHEZ: “Chairwoman, thank you so much for joining us.”

MCCLAIN: “Thank you.”

SANCHEZ: “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. Chairwoman Linda McClain, thank you so much for the time.”

MCCLAIN: “Lisa. Thank you.”

SANCHEZ: “Lisa. My apologies. Have a good weekend.”

MCCLAIN: “That’s OK. You too.”