Former President Donald Trump to appear in first CNN appearance since 2016 for a presidential town hall event moderated by Kaitlan Collins.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to make his first appearance on CNN since the 2016 campaign.
CNN announced that Trump will participate in a presidential town hall event moderated by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire on May 10 at 9 p.m. ET.
Trump is expected to field questions from Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to participate in New Hampshire’s GOP presidential primary.
Despite his previous criticisms of CNN, Trump agreed to participate in the town hall following a “compelling pitch” by CNN executives, according to an advisor to the former president.
“Trump is running to be president for all Americans,” the advisor added.
Polls examining the 2024 presidential election show Trump with a significant lead over the rest of the GOP primary field. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has not yet officially announced his candidacy, reportedly remains a potential competitor.
CNN says Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in New Hampshire town hall next week; @kaitlancollins will moderate pic.twitter.com/fBQaiMSFT8
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 2, 2023
Nonetheless, Trump’s current re-election campaign remains under a flurry of high-profile investigations, including a criminal case in Manhattan. However, the former president has expressed confidence in his lead and referred to CNN’s event as a platform to converse with potential opponents.
“When you’re leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile Networks with angry, TRUMP & MAGA hating anchors asking the ‘questions,’ why subject yourself to being libeled and abused?” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
CNN is facing backlash and boycott calls after confirming that former President Donald Trump will participate in a presidential town hall event.
Keith Olberman, former ESPN host, and hard-Left commentator tweeted: “Here it is, [CNN] committing journalistic suicide” in response to the news.
Meanwhile, CNN defended its decision by highlighting its tradition of hosting leading presidential candidates for Town Halls and political events as a crucial element of its campaign coverage. The network plans to hold more such events in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
