Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joy Behar have led to the condemnation of CNN’s decision to host a town hall with Donald Trump in which the former president basked in the spotlight and repeated a series of lies, joking about the fact that he had been held liable for assault the day before and derided the moderator as “nasty.”
The 70-minute session, held in New Hampshire in front of a strong pro-Trump audience, at times seemed more like a Trump rally than an interrogation, as the former president held court and moderator Kaitlan Collins tried to maintain control.
During his tense confrontation with Collins, he called January 6 a “nice day,” insisted he had “every right” to bring classified documents to Mar-a-Lago, wouldn’t say whether he wanted Ukraine or Russia to start the war. would win and said the end of title 42 would be a ‘day of infamy’.
“I hope everyone enjoyed CNN tonight. The crowd in New Hampshire was AMAZING. Thank you!’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after the show.
The town hall set social media on fire, animating supporters and critics of the former president.
Donald Trump is seen Wednesday evening at a controversial CNN town hall hosted by Kaitlan Collins. It was his first time on CNN in seven years
Trump and Collins are photographed in New Hampshire on Wednesday night
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it was “a very irresponsible decision” by CNN to host the event
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on CNN Town Hall with Former President Trump: What we saw tonight was a series of extremely irresponsible decisions that put a victim of sexual abuse at risk… in front of a national audience, and I couldn’t disagree more. It was embarrassing pic.twitter.com/DOrMkBIEzq
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 11, 2023
Ocasio-Cortez, a congressman representing New York, said it was wrong to give Trump a platform, which he used to attack E. Jean Carroll — the woman who won her sexual assault case against him the day before.
She tweeted that CNN “should be ashamed.”
“I think it was a very irresponsible decision,” she told MSNBC of CNN’s hosting of the event.
Ocasio-Cortez said on the TV channel that CNN “endangered a victim of sexual abuse.”
She added, “I couldn’t have disagreed more. It was embarrassing.’
Joy Behar, host of The View, tweeted, “The Cnn thing is a joke. The public is stacked with its cult. Kaitlin is good, but it’s impossible to deal with this pathological liar.”
Trump’s supporters reveled in the anger he invoked.
“I’m so proud of President Trump tonight, GREAT WORK!” tweeted Marjorie Taylor Greene, a member of the House representing Georgia.
“He’s really showing everyone why he’s the president America needs.”
Taylor Greene praised him for appearing on CNN instead of his usual conservative channels.
Wednesday’s appearance marked Trump’s first time on CNN in seven years.
“He’s doing town hall with CNN, which has attacked him more than anyone else,” Taylor Greene said.
Biden doesn’t even want to talk, can’t even talk to the press.
“But President Trump loves this country and is showing that he is willing to fight for it.”
Texas Congressman Lance Gooden said CNN was “the lion’s den,” but Trump won the battle.
“Tonight President Trump went into the lion’s den and he came out victorious,” he said.
Joy Behar said the CNN show was “a joke,” with Trump waltzing Collins
Charlie Kirk, founder of the pro-Trump group Turning Point USA, ridiculed Ocasio-Cortez for her concerns.
“AOC RECOMMENDS that CNN has given President Trump a prime-time platform to remind the American people how popular and refreshing his policies and approach really are, and how awful Joe Biden’s presidency really is,” he tweeted.
Evan Kilgore, a Turning Point ambassador, said he thought the spectacle would improve Trump’s electoral chances.
The crowd loves Trump at the CNN Town Hall rally. Lots of cheers and applause. He makes Kaitlan Collins seem hostile and insanely biased,” he said.
“Tonight will boost his approval.”
Sergio Gor, who published Trump’s books, wrote, “President @realdonaldtrump is absolutely right. Every question has received an answer. Does anyone think Joe Biden can handle questions like this? NOT REALLY!’
Musician Trill Clinton tweeted, “Trump walked all over Kaitlan Collins. It was sad to see.
But CNN did that on purpose. They wanted someone Trump could talk to. The entire purpose of City Hall was for ratings and clickbait. All his supporters will go to their website to see how he trains her.’
CNN’s rising star Collins tried to fact check Trump and keep the conversation moving, with mixed success
Others strongly disagreed, saying Trump’s answers showed he was unfit for office.
“Donald Trump did not order the National Guard to protect the Capitol before or on Jan. 6,” said Liz Cheney, a Republican former senator for Wyoming who co-chaired the Jan. 6 committee.
Trump told Collins he had offered the National Guard to protect the Capitol, but Nancy Pelosi and the Washington D.C. mayor declined his offer.
Collins tried to control him, but he waltzed her.
“Listen to his own defense secretary’s testimony,” Cheney said.
No matter how many times Trump lies about this, the facts will not change. He is unfit for any office.’
Larry Hogan, former Republican governor of Maryland, tweeted, “There’s a lot to be said about Trump’s CNN town hall.
“What cannot be said is that a person who calls January 6 a ‘nice day’ and refuses to say that he is siding with Ukraine against Russian aggression has something to do with our party or back in the White House. home.’
Another host of The View, political commentator Ana Navarro, said: ‘.@JoeBiden is tonight’s town hall winner.
Trump showed he commands the GOP base. Hopefully it will remind D’s of the terrible human and existential threat to democracy Biden faces, and they’ll stop fretting about his age and get behind the man who has proven he can beat Trump.”
Collins and Trump are seen on stage in front of the largely pro-Trump audience
Supporters of Trump’s likely main rival for the 2024 nomination, Ron DeSantis, also trashed his performance by listing his main arguments and saying he was not fit to be president.
On CNN tonight, Trump talked for an hour about what he did or didn’t do on January 6, 2021. Whether he will pardon people who have wronged police officers. How the 2020 election was rigged.
Whether he supports ending parts of the US Constitution or the whole thing because the 2020 election was rigged. The sexual abuse case he was just found guilty of. A cat named ‘Vagina’.
His defense of his comments about grabbing women by their genitals. The federal investigation into his stash of classified documents owned by taxpayers in Mar-a-Lago. The investigation into his efforts to reverse his loss to Biden in Georgia in 2020.
“How is this making America great again?”
And many more disagreed with Trump calling Collins “annoying.”
The insult came after Collins pressured him to withhold classified material. Collins did not respond.
Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson defended Collins, saying Trump was embarrassingly old-fashioned in his misogynistic attitude.
Trump’s true colors – he calls @KaitlainCollins ‘dirty’. Because she’s actually smart and asks good questions,’ she said.
“This is so so sad. So sad. So sad. And say she doesn’t understand. So sad. We’re back in the sixties.’
Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as Trump’s director of strategic communications, who resigned in December 2020, said his derision of Collins was embarrassing.
For Trump, women who speak the truth are always “dirty.” What a shame,’ she said.
Lisa Bloom, a lawyer who has represented many #MeToo accusers, agreed.
“Women who stand up to Trump are always insulted by a man who has just been charged with sexual assault,” she said.
“The audience is booing because his cult followers can’t stand their Dear Leader being asked awkward questions and follow-ups.”
Author Wajahat Ali said it was wrong for Collins to be expected to hold Trump accountable in front of a screaming mob.
Trump calls Kaitlin Collins an “annoying person” after she just followed up. The audience laughed and clapped,” he said.
“Congratulations, Chris Licht and CNN executive. Bravo. What a way to treat your employees.’
MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin tweeted, “And now Trump is humiliating the moderator by calling her an ‘annoying person,’ as he has done to so many women before.”
And author Jill Filipovic said, “If Trump was trying to win over women voters, it wasn’t the way to call an excellent reporter ‘dirty,’ mock a sexual assault survivor, and attribute his own role in ending abortion rights. cheer.’
Still, some Trump supporters found his insult of Collins amusing.
Jeff Clark, former acting assistant attorney general under the Trump administration, said, “Trump to CNN’s Kaitlin Collins, ‘You’re a mean person, let me tell you.'”
He followed it up with several laughing emojis.
And Ryan Fournier, founder of Students for Trump, said, “You’re a nasty person.” – Trump.
“This man is great.”