After widespread backlash that included calls by prominent journalists for CEO Chris Licht to resign, CNN released a statement defending Wednesday night’s Donald Trump town hall presentation as well as the program’s moderator Kaitlyn Collins.
“Tonight, Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions. And she took President Trump to task as she entered the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner.” followed and fact-checked President Trump in real time to deliver critical information about the posts. “It is CNN’s role and responsibility: to get the answers and to account to the powerful,” the network said in a statement Thursday night. to put into.”
Many critics beg to differ.
The town hall, which took place Wednesday night in New Hampshire, was packed with an audience of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents who laughed and cheered after nearly all of Trump’s wild statements. CNN gives Trump a platform to defame and embarrass E. Jean Carroll, talk lovingly about the January 6th rioters, and repeat false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
Collins attempted to counter Trump’s claims, clarifying that the election was not rigged, but the pushback was blatant and largely disarmed by the audience.
At one point, Trump called Collins a “bad person” after she attempted to probe Trump about his refusal to hand over classified documents to the federal government. Trump drew thunderous applause for the dig.
MSNBC hosts Medhi Hassan after town hall wrote That interview was “doomed to fail forever,” but pondered “what did CNN or Kaitlyn Collins think?”.
Critics such as journalist Mark Harris and political consultant Simon Rosenberg demanded He The CEO of CNN should step down. Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Said CNN should be “ashamed,” saying the network allowed town halls to “disrupt the election, manipulate the staging of security” [the January 6 Capitol riots]And a public attack on a sexual abuse victim.”
