‘You Need to Stop!’ CNN’s John Berman and Byron Donalds Battle Over Trump’s ‘Whether the Women Like It Or Not’ Rant About Women

CNN anchor John Berman asked a surrogate for former President Donald Trump if he thought the ex-president’s comments about protecting women “whether the women like it or not” would be a problem, and ended the segment without a straight answer.

Berman spoke to Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) on Thursday, the day after Trump said at a rally that despite his aides telling him to be mindful of how he talked about women, “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I’ve gotta protect them.” Donalds tried to blame the media for taking the comment out of context because Trump was referring to protecting women from border-related crime. Berman told Donalds that he was correct in mentioning that context, but that still didn’t explain Trump’s “whether the women like it or not” comment.

The ensuing conversation devolved into a sparring match with Donalds trying to turn the conversation away from the comments and towards his talking points:

Berman: Congressman, Congressman, you just explained the exact right context was with Donald Trump’s story, was telling people how people close to him, okay? His advisers were telling him not to use that type of language and say, “I’m going to be your protector.” And that is the context in that speech.

Donalds: John, you need to stop.

Berman: No, no, no, that was what he was doing. And then he said, and then he said, and then he said, “I’m going to protect them, the women, whether they like it or not.” And I’m not the only one asking you about this language. Donald Trump, his advisers clearly knew it was an issue. And Nikki Haley has been talking about the language that Donald Trump.

Donalds: John, you need to stop!

Berman: No, hang on, Congressman, Nikki Haley, this is what she said about the type of language that Trump and Trump supporters have been using. Listen.

Haley (from Fox News interview): I mean, this bromance and this masculinity stuff, I mean, it it borders on edgy to the point that it’s going to make women uncomfortable. You know, you’ve got affiliated PACs that are doing commercials about calling Kamala the C-word, or you had speakers at Madison Square Garden, you know, referring to her and her pimps. That is not the way to win women.

Berman: So, you’re telling me there’s no concern from Nikki Haley or clearly, as Donald Trump said from people close to him, his campaign, about the type of language he’s using?

Donalds: John, listen, I love the selective editing this morning. You guys are conflating two very separate things. Let’s get to the core of the message that you played at the beginning. Donald Trump was talking about protecting women and children in our country from the ravages of illegal immigration.

Berman then played a longer version of the clip from the Green Bay, Wisconsin rally where Trump made the comments. Donalds said that women in the audience “stood on their feet and they cheered loudly” and pivoted back to his border talking points. Berman tried to push Donalds to at least address Haley’s comments:

Berman: If you don’t want to answer my question, can you address Nikki Haley’s comments?

Donalds: John, I just answered your question.

Berman: You didn’t address Nikki Haley’s comments. Nikki Haley says that there is a type of language–

Donalds: John, Nikki Haley’s comments are irrelevant at this point.

Berman: That’s your answer? That’s your answer to Nikki Haley, then, that Nikki Haley is irrelevant?

Donalds: No, John, it’s not — John, the answer that matters five days before an election is this. You have young girls who are from other countries who are trafficked to our southern border by the drug cartels. They are raped. They are sold into sex slavery.

Berman: Nikki Haley agrees with you on immigration, Congressman.

By the end of the conversation, which included Berman bringing up the sexist “C-word” ad by Elon Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC targeting Vice President Kamala Harris, Donalds circled back to “context,” which gave Berman his closer: “The context is there’s five days to go in this election, and the context is we like to show what the candidates are saying.”

Watch the video above via CNN.