CNN Trump Town Hall Blows Up in Its Face as AOC Turns on Network: 'Should Be Ashamed'
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York was among a number of prominent leftists who turned on CNN in the middle of its Wednesday town hall event in New Hampshire, which featured former President Donald Trump with a live audience.
Network CEO Chris Licht had hoped to use the event to pivot the network back to its previous spot as a reasonable voice in the establishment media sphere, Business Insider reported.
It became apparent in the opening minutes of the event that the network had hosted Trump in order to corner him.
Trump was grilled by network host Kailtan Collins about everything from the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol incursion to his civil case against E. Jean Carroll — a woman who claimed Trump raped her in the 1990s at a New York City department store:
A jury handed Carroll a partial win but found Trump never raped her.
Collins made the accusation a focal point of the town hall.
This CNN town hall event is a stand up comedy show.
CNN looks terrible.pic.twitter.com/yjUZv8s2V4
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 11, 2023
The former president was prepared for Collins’ line of questions and defended himself in a manner many who watched it found was more than adequate.
Trump absolutely crushed that town hall. See prior tweet in thread. That was NOT the bar he even needed to meet. He hit a much higher one, despite the predictable gotcha attempts.
The potential goal worth the risk laid out in the prior tweet was met.
I’m honestly stunned.
— Rich Baris “The People’s Pundit” (@Peoples_Pundit) May 11, 2023
But far-left congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez was unpleased after an attempt to corner Trump had failed and she turned on CNN.
She wrote off the network as having been to blame for obvious support of Trump among a live audience of undecided voters.
“CNN should be ashamed of themselves,” the congresswoman wrote on Twitter during the event. “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.”
Ocasio-Cortez added, “The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host.”
CNN should be ashamed of themselves.
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.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023
In a subsequent tweet, the Democratic lawmaker accused CNN of putting “a sexual abuse victim in harm’s way” while seemingly referencing Carroll.
“This falls squarely on CNN,” she wrote. “Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen.”
She concluded, “Instead they put a sexual abuse victim in harm’s way for views. This was a choice to platform lies about the election & Jan 6th w/ no plan but to have their moderator interrupted without consequence.”
This falls squarely on CNN. Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen. Instead they put a sexual abuse victim in harm’s way for views. This was a choice to platform lies about the election & Jan 6th w/ no plan but to have their moderator interrupted without consequence.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023
Collins attempted to make the first portion of the town hall about the Capitol incursion and she also tried to paint Trump as a political extremist.
The former president reminded her he received more votes than any other Republican nominee in history during the last election.
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