CNN defends Trump Town Hall hosting.

CNN Defends Decision to Host Trump Town Hall

CNN’s decision to host a town hall-style interview with former President Donald Trump on Wednesday night has sparked controversy, with many Democrats criticizing the network for giving him a platform. However, CNN’s on-air personalities are defending the move.

Anderson Cooper Addresses Criticisms

Anderson Cooper addressed the criticisms in the opening monologue of his show on Thursday night. While he validated many of the criticisms the network had faced, he also presented the town hall as a valuable moment for understanding Trump’s position as a 2024 presidential candidate and the people who agree with him.

• Cooper criticized Trump for describing the officer who claimed responsibility for fatally shooting an unarmed demonstrator on Jan. 6, 2021, as “a thug” during Wednesday’s town hall event.
• Cooper also criticized Trump for calling moderator Kaitlan Collins “a nasty person” after she repeatedly spoke over him as he described his handling of classified documents.
• Cooper said viewers may have also been upset to see the live audience members at the town hall event cheering Trump on through several contentious moments in the interview.

Despite these criticisms of Trump, Cooper warned critics that their disdain for CNN hosting the town hall event won’t make Trump go away.

Kaitlan Collins Presents Town Hall as “Major Inflection Point”

In a primetime appearance on Thursday night, Kaitlan Collins presented the CNN town hall in similar terms as Cooper, describing the event as a “major inflection point in the Republican party’s search for its next nominee.”

While the decision to host Trump has been controversial, CNN’s on-air personalities are defending the move as a valuable opportunity to understand the former president’s position and the people who support him.