‘A Trump Infomercial’: Backlash Erupts Against CNN for Hosting the Former President

CNN faced backlash from opponents of former President Donald Trump for hosting him in a town hall on the network Wednesday, charging that they gave him a stage.

“CNN should be ashamed of themselves,” lamented socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). “They have lost total control of this ‘town hall’ to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim. The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host.”

“This is a Trump infomercial,” lamented Meghan McCain.

“This is an irresponsible disaster of journalism. We have absolutely learned nothing,” said Matt Fuller of the Daily Beast.

“This is really not going how CNN must have thought or hoped it would go,” said Yahoo News senior correspondent Michael Weiss. “He is steamrolling, getting laughs for his crassest comments, and seems far more self-assured and confident than someone this deep in the soup should be.”

This is an irresponsible disaster of journalism.

We have absolutely learned nothing.

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) May 11, 2023

This is really not going how CNN must have thought or hoped it would go… He is steamrolling, getting laughs for his crassest comments, and seems far more self-assured and confident than someone this deep in the soup should be.

— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) May 11, 2023

He’s got total control of this interview and Kaitlin Collins is getting utterly incinerated.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) May 11, 2023

Sarah Reese Jones of PoliticusUSA lamented how CNN chose to begin the interview by not touching the E. Jean Carroll civil trial verdict, which found Trump guilty of sexual abuse and defamation, not rape. The interview eventually did touch on E. Jean Carroll wherein the former president said that women will still vote for him.

“CNN’s Kaitlin Collins is being steamrolled by Trump, who has pushed 2020 election lies, promised to pardon the 1/6 insurrectionists, and smeared E. Jean Carroll,” she wrote in an article.

CNN doesn't start with E. Jean Carroll, but instead allows Trump to lie about the 2020 election being rigged, "Most people understand what happened. That was a rigged election, and it's a shame we had to go through it." pic.twitter.com/vSjXkCFqHg

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 11, 2023

Trump calls Collns a "nasty person" on stage.

The crowd, made up of GOP voters in New Hampshire, cheers.

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) May 11, 2023

HORRIBLE 'interrogation' of @realDonaldTrump on @CNN, all ethics of journalism broken, won't allow Trump to talk. Even if you disagree, allow the man to make his point. WATCH. HORRIBLE. pic.twitter.com/qp9cv1C2dV

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) May 11, 2023

To all of you on and off Twitter who flatly predicted this #CNNTownhall would be a pro-Trump disaster, YOU WERE CORRECT. Not even a close call. Kudos.

— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) May 11, 2023

We can't do anything about CNN or other media outlets giving the GOP frontrunner airtime.

We can do something about making sure he doesn't win again.

Focus on the choice. Act accordingly.

— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) May 11, 2023

As the interview ends, Jake Tapper, as ever, is eloquently summarizing how dishonest and racist and crass Trump was and how the audience laughed along.

The question then is: why did CNN give him a platform to do all that? #CNNTownhall

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 11, 2023