Trump to appear at CNN town hall in New Hampshire

[Eric]

Apparently, prompting the hashtag #BoycottCNN but he's the leading Republican candidate so IMO CNN has every right to have him on, as they would the leading Democrat.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/01/politics/donald-trump-town-hall/index.html

CNN —
Former President Donald Trump will participate in a CNN presidential town hall next week in New Hampshire, the network announced Monday.

“CNN This Morning” anchor Kaitlan Collins will moderate the event at St. Anselm College, which will air at 9 p.m. ET on May 10 and will feature the former president taking questions from New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.

This will be Trump’s first appearance on CNN since the 2016 presidential campaign.

 

[Eric]

Watched a clip with Kaitlan Collins and she was clearly egging him on, to the point that I thought it was obvious and in poor taste. No fan of Trump but she lost the crowd, at least in that clip.

 

[Cmaier]

Watched a clip with Kaitlan Collins and she was clearly egging him on, to the point that I thought it was obvious and in poor taste. No fan of Trump but she lost the crowd, at least in that clip.

By agreement with CNN, the crowd was all Trump supporters. The crowd wasn’t hers to lose.

 

[Eric]

By agreement with CNN, the crowd was all Trump supporters. The crowd wasn’t hers to lose.

So a CNN sponsored rally then? That whole thing sounds way too good for Trump to refuse.

 

[fooferdoggie]

By agreement with CNN, the crowd was all Trump supporters. The crowd wasn’t hers to lose.

thats typical trump cant handle anyone but fawning idiots. but then ones the point its just him blathering his usual lies the emperor has no clothes.

 

[Cmaier]

So a CNN sponsored rally then? That whole thing sounds way too good for Trump to refuse.

Exactly. That’s why CNN is taking so much flack today. Essentially a prime time campaign rally.

The good news is that trump admitted to a felony or two, so he‘ll be going to jail at some point. Plus Carroll is going to sue him for a third time for last night’s new libel.

 

[Edd]

As the NH resident here I’m compelled to point out that Trump lost twice in NH. Would love to know what parts of the state they dug that crowd up from. So embarrassing.

 

[Eric]

How did they ensure only Trump supporters though, was it held in one of his strongholds or something?

 

[Cmaier]

How did they ensure only Trump supporters though, was it held in one of his strongholds or something?

“More than a week before the event, the New Hampshire GOP distributed an email with a link to a questionnaire to be filled out by those interested in attending the town hall and submitting questions. The 15-question form asked potential attendees about their party affiliation, who they voted for in the 2020 presidential election, whether they worked or volunteered for a political party within the past decade, and whether they plan to vote in New Hampshire’s GOP presidential primary.”

 

[Citysnaps]

I say great. Let him make a fool of himself and lie. And admit to felonies.

I saw a few clips of the last CNN town hall and the host was calling out his lies. And today CNN published a fact check piece calling out each lie.

A net plus for me.

 

[fooferdoggie]

As the NH resident here I’m compelled to point out that Trump lost twice in NH. Would love to know what parts of the state they dug that crowd up from. So embarrassing.

its like mail order brides.

 

[Cmaier]

its like mail order brides.

Not related at all, but my cousin is Barron Trump’s teacher, and had nothing bad to say about Melania.

 

[dada_dave]

So a CNN sponsored rally then? That whole thing sounds way too good for Trump to refuse.

Apparently that’s SOP for a Town Hall set for before a primary as opposed to the general election - the party chooses the audience because it’s meant to be voters who will participate in that party’s primary. This is the danger of covering Trump - and the Republican Party - as just a normal candidate and a normal political party when neither are. News organizations stubbornly refuse to learn that lesson and democracy pays the price.

Even Anderson Cooper is out doing damage control and saying “do critics really want to be in silos?” shtick which always gets trotted out when a news organization fucks up this badly. It’s a false dichotomy: They can cover Trump without giving him a prime time rally endorsed by their network.

 

[dada_dave]

Even someone like Tom Nichols who thinks putting cameras on Trump is the best way to beat him was scathing:

I say great. Let him make a fool of himself and lie. And admit to felonies.

I saw a few clips of the last CNN town hall and the host was calling out his lies. And today CNN published a fact check piece calling out each lie.

A net plus for me.

That may have been the clips that some have pulled out of the circus but according to those watched the whole thing that’s not how it went for the most part. He steamrolled her: what few fact checks she got it were met with derision or simply overrode her and with that audience there wasn’t a chance of any other outcome. And fact checks afterwards have proven basically useless.

Now, sure, he may have gotten himself into more legal trouble, but the general election is a long way off and he’s already in such trouble if they don’t derail him what he said tonight won’t either. Lastly I’ll just repeat the above that you can put cameras on him and let him self-immolate without giving him a rally.

 

[Citysnaps]

That may have been the clips that some have pulled out of the circus but according to those watched the whole thing that’s not how it went for the most part. He steamrolled her: what few fact checks she got it were met with derision or simply overrode her and with that audience there wasn’t a chance of any other outcome. And fact checks afterwards have proven basically useless.

Now, sure, he may have gotten himself into more legal trouble, but the general election is a long way off and he’s already in such trouble if they don’t derail him what he said tonight won’t either. Lastly I’ll just repeat the above that you can put cameras on him and let him self-immolate without giving him a rally.

Let’s consider trump’s town hall performance and who it might influence.

Democrats: Nope.

trumpist republicans: Nope.

Republicans who view Jan6th as an attack on democracy and Constitution: A very good chance

True Independents: A very good chance.

Some republican women: A very good chance

Smells like a net plus to me.

 

[dada_dave]

Let’s consider trump’s town hall performance and who it might influence.

Democrats: Nope.

trumpist republicans: Nope.

Republicans who view Jan6th as an attack on democracy and Constitution: A very good chance

True Independents: A very good chance.

Some republican women: A very good chance

Smells like a net plus to me.

Even if that is all true, and I agree with some of this, it was diminishing for the institution of democracy and journalism and that is really more crucial than the immediate impact on an electorate that won’t be voting for 1.5 years. You’re also assuming a standard election in 1.5 years. We didn’t have a standard transfer of power, we had violence. We may yet face a violent election. We already had armed “poll watchers”. I hope not, but the more we slip down this path, the more our institutions are degraded, at the very least the harder it becomes to rebuild. This doesn’t help.

The mentality of CNN that produced this spectacle certainly doesn’t help and will continue to do damage. This mentality which confuses objectivity with neutrality and even neutrality with centrality is unfortunately endemic across our media ecosystem and is part of how we got to where we are today.

 

[Citysnaps]

Even if that is all true, and I agree with some of this, it was diminishing for the institution of democracy and journalism and that is really more crucial than the immediate impact on an electorate that won’t be voting for 1.5 years. You’re also assuming a standard election in 1.5 years.

Diminishing the institution of democracy? Seriously?

No, it was casting daylight on and reminding people about who trump is, in all his atrocious behavior and what he's about. In real time, for all to see. That's a good thing.

Though the election is a year and half away, it's best to start the above process early.

As I said in my previous post, it's a net plus. Especially for democracy.

 

[shadow puppet]

Diminishing the institution of democracy? Seriously?

No, it was casting daylight on and reminding people about who trump is, in all his atrocious behavior and what he's about. In real time, for all to see. That's a good thing.

Though the election is a year and half away, it's best to start the above process early.

As I said in my previous post, it's a net plus. Especially for democracy.

Sorry to differ but I didn't see it that way at all. It gave me such a pit in my stomach, it terrified me.

All his followers who tuned in are now re-energized and proudly tooting their horns. There's a sick knot in my stomach making me uneasy that the orange stain might somehow find a win in 2024. I want to be wrong. But this crowd doesn't care about any of his lies or indictments. That much is crystal clear. He still has a massive amount of followers & they don't seem to give one iota about any indictments. In fact, they seem to fuel their blind obeisance.

It happened once when we never thought it possible. It could most definitely happen again. Anyone who thinks that is not possible, are only kidding themselves. I know for me, I cannot take another term of this deranged narcissist.

 

[dada_dave]

Sorry to differ but I didn't see it that way at all. It gave me such a pit in my stomach, it terrified me.

All his followers who tuned in are now re-energized and proudly tooting their horns. There's a sick knot in my stomach making me uneasy that the orange stain might somehow find a win in 2024. I want to be wrong. But this crowd doesn't care about any of his lies or indictments. That much is crystal clear. He still has a massive amount of followers & they don't seem to give one iota about any indictments. In fact, they seem to fuel their blind obeisance.

It happened once when we never thought it possible. It could most definitely happen again. Anyone who thinks that is not possible, are only kidding themselves. I know for me, I cannot take another term of this deranged narcissist.

Yup @Citysnaps this is how I felt too. I understand where you’re coming from but I fundamentally disagree. And unless Chris Licht thinks he’s playing some 3D chess this note is pretty bad:

Certainly he and his bosses have gone on the record saying that they are dismissive of people concerned about covering Trump as just a normal candidate - mocking “advocacy journalism” which in the case of Trump is advocating for basic democratic values. So that shows you where they are coming from and how they view the Townhall and the intent behind it.

 

[Citysnaps]

But this crowd doesn't care about any of his lies or indictments. That much is crystal clear. He still has a massive amount of followers & they don't seem to give one iota about any indictments. In fact, they seem to fuel their blind obeisance.

With respect to his crowd, it is what it is. They're not going to be converted, as I said up above in post# 15.

Groups that are essential to be influenced away from trump are true Independents, Republicans who are pissed about the attack on the Capitol and Constitution (and attempted coup), and Republican women who are fed up with his misogyny and sexual abuse. They can be reached and can make a difference in the general election. I suspect many were watching the town hall.

Yup @Citysnaps this is how I felt too. I understand where you’re coming from but I fundamentally disagree. And unless Chris Licht thinks he’s playing some 3D chess this note is pretty bad:

No 3D chess from trump. He's just full of himself.



This is worth a watch: