Crowd cheers E. Jean Carroll insults

former president donald trump On Wednesday, he again pushed false claims that he lost the 2020 presidential election. Joe Biden It was “manipulated” because it clashed with a CNN host at a live Town Hall.

Trump also mocked and lashed out at the woman who accused him of rape in a civil suit, the day after a jury in that case found him guilty of sexual abuse and defamation.

According to CNN, the 70-minute event in New Hampshire marked Trump’s first appearance on the network since the 2016 presidential election. CNN This Morning anchor Kaitlan Collins, who tried to fact-check Trump in real time, moderated the event. It featured a live audience of voters not declared Republicans.

Much of the crowd was very supportive of Trump, frequently clapping and laughing in support of what he said.

For years, Trump, who has falsely claimed to have beaten Biden in 2020, told Collins that he would “see what happens unless you’re a very stupid person” in that contest. When asked if he would publicly admit defeat, Trump referred to claims from the group. Facilitate election conspiracy theory.

Trump also defended supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and was asked if he regretted his actions that day. Trump said those who came to hear him speak near the Capitol stormed the Capitol, and while some blocked the transfer of power from Trump to Biden, “put love in your heart.” I was there on purpose,” he said.

“It was a great day,” Trump said, blaming former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the riots.

He also said he would likely forgive “many of them” if he took back the White House in 2024.

Trump also praised one of his supporters, Ashli ​​Babbitt, who stormed the Capitol on January 6. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd shot and killed babbitt She and a crowd of Trump supporters tried to break through the door. Trump on Wednesday called Byrd, who is black, a “thug.”

When undeclared voters asked him about the nation’s debt and the ongoing clashes in Congress over the debt ceiling, Trump said the United States should go to default If Democrats don’t agree to drastic spending cuts.

When pressed for his views on the debt default, Trump said: “We’ll do it later, maybe we should do it now because we have to save this country.” said.

Collins has repeatedly urged Trump to have an abortion, which is likely to be a big deal in the 2024 cycle. Trump, who is more opaque than some Republican candidates, has repeatedly refused to give a firm answer on whether he would sign a federal abortion ban if re-elected.

“I negotiate to make people happy,” he said at one point, touting his conservative Supreme Court nomination crucial to last year’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. kept asking for clarification, he said he was “looking for a solution that works.”

The conversation also dragged on about Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Trump avoiding questions about whether he wants Ukraine to win, but the invasion of Russian leader Vladimir Putin was a “tremendous mistake.” said he was thinking.

City Hall sometimes sounded like an argument, Collins stepped in frequently to refute Trump’s allegations, and the former president responded aggressively. and asked Collins why he brought classified documents to Mar-a-Lago’s home after leaving the presidency.

Some journalists and media commentators quickly panned City Hall, mostly praising Collins’ efforts. Others defended the event. “Collins is a true professional and has shown that she is a great journalist,” said Peter Baker of The New York Times. murmured.

Since his frustration with CNN years ago, Trump has blamed the network, its reputation, its leadership, and many of its on-air personalities.

However, following a change in leadership at CNN, in the press coverage Sluggish evaluationthe network apparently decided to give Trump another chance.

“He’s the frontrunner for the Republican Party. He has to play.” warner bros discovery David Zaslav, CEO of the company that owns CNN, spoke about Trump on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last week.City Hall is the home of CNN CEO Chris Licht. Rules Against False Broadcasts.

The decision raised concerns from Trump criticthey argue, giving former presidents a live platform to spread disinformation ignores the lessons the media learned during their presidency. defendant Licht attempts to court a more moderate audience as part of a network overhaul.

The timing only heightened the controversy.City Hall Comes Day After New York Jury held trump to blame Sexual abuse and defamation charges in a civil lawsuit filed by writer E. Gene Carroll.

A jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

It’s not clear what the outcome of that trial, which Trump denounced in a series of social media posts Tuesday night and his lawyers vowed to appeal, is. influence his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

At Town Hall Hall, Trump repeatedly mocked Carroll, resulting in cheers and laughter from the crowd.

Trump loses 2020 re-election bid Biden, still seems to be the de facto leader of the Republican Party. Even those who would be his main rivals had little reaction to the jury’s harsh verdict.

Trump appeared blaming CNN in front of City Hall and suggested in a social media post that the network had booked him.

“It could be the start of a new and vibrant CNN without fake news, or it could be a disaster for everyone, including me. Let’s see what happens?” Trump wrote. .