CNN Boss Weighs In on Trump Town Hall and Its ‘Uncomfortable’ Moments: ‘America Was Served Very Well By What We Did Last Night’
CNN boss Chris Licht defended his network’s Wednesday-night town hall with Donald Trump during a meeting with staffers Thursday, despite the former president’s unruly behavior toward moderator Kaitlan Collins and his vilification of writer E. Jean Carroll, whom he recently was found liable of sexually abusing and defaming.
“You do not have to like the former president’s answers, but you can’t say that we didn’t get them,” Licht said during an editorial call, according to tweets from media insider/Reliable Sources vet Brian Stelter. “Kaitlan pressed him again and again and made news. Made a lot of news.” He added: “That is our job.”
Despite Licht’s claims that the network got answers, Trump spent much of his time on screen dodging questions and peddling conspiracies. He repeated the “rigged” 2020 election lie, said the Jan. 6 insurrection crowd was comprised of people “with love in their hearts” and called Collins “a nasty person” when she pressed him to answer a question about the many classified documents he retained.
Trump also used the platform to further attack Carroll. “I have no idea who the hell she is. I don’t know who this woman is,” he said when discussing his sexual abuse and defamation against her.
He continued, repeatedly railroading Collins’ line of questioning, calling Carroll’s memory of his sexual abuse a “fake story, a made-up story” and called her a “whack job.” His smear campaign against the writer was often met with laughter and cheers from the crowd.
Licht used the call to address staff concerns about the night’s outcome and directly responded to the “uncomfortable” audience response. He said “hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story” because those people represent “a large swath of America” that has formerly been ignored in election coverage.
“America was served very well by what we did last night,” Licht concluded.
What did you think of CNN’s Trump town hall? Let us know in the comments.
Your job is to not make news .your job is to report on the news !!!
JFC. This guy is a moron.
As Keith Olbermann reminds people, when Licht and Olbermann both worked at MSNBC, Olbermann thought that Licht ate paste.
I served myself very well as an American by NOT watching it. I think there are others who feel the same.
Yes!
You missed out on a great comedy show.
remember many thought he could not possibly win the first time…gasp not again!
Mr. Licht, let me clarify something for you – Your job is not to make news – your job is reporting news. Two very differnet things.
Exposing frauds and liars for what they are IS news. And if that means pressing uncomfortable questions and drilling him to answer them honestly, so be it.
Giving a nut job a platform to spew nonsense only encourages the behavior.
But if said nut job is the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, people need to hear what he thinks.
Yes!
I know that CNN’s new CEO Chris Licht wanted to increase their dwindling ratings by adding more right-wing content and guests. But that was just downright irresponsible. CNN is contributing to the demise of our democracy. I once relied on them for unbiased reporting and well-done news shows, but grubbing for ratings while giving that divisive, propagandizing, abusive, repulsive liar a forum is beyond what I can accept. I don’t think I can forgive them for this. I feel nauseated, and I won’t be watching CNN anymore.
I hope CNN’s ratings continue to plummet until they are no more.
I wold never accuse him of being capable of thinking. Treason, yes. Murder, yes. Rape, yes, but actual thinking? He can’t complete a thought or a sentence.
It’s not news if said frauds and liars have already been exposed for what they are years ago. I didn’t watch any of this, but I wonder which answers we got that we didn’t already have. If he said anything that was actual news I haven’t heard about it yet.
Well said!
You are nuts!
They wanted to have this town hall (not) last night that’s one thing but having Kaitlin Colins try to moderate that was ridiculous. Someone like Jake Tapper or Anderson Copper who are little bit more equipped at pushing back would have been a better choice. I’m not sure Chris Licht is reading the room very well.
Something tells me they refused to do it. Because yes, you would have thought someone like those two or someone with more experience would have been given it. But they probably refused. Especially Jake Tapper. Kaitlin tried, but Trump knows how to fillbuster through answers, and she was chum by the end of the night even though she did get in a lot of questions that gave answers that might pose problems for him and the Republicans.
I believe Kaitlan was chosen as she was the chief White House correspondent when Trump was in office, and therefore likely knew him and his behavior pretty well. I thought she did a very good job, but really how can anyone moderate him? He’s delusional.
So true.u need someone who can control a room.but I promise you Anderson wouldn’t touch this at all
I agrea
They gave him a platform in 2016, and look what happened. They need to ignore him and not continue to give him opportunities to lie to even more people.
But the problem is, he IS a presential candidate. And it would look like they were favoring other candidates to keep him off the air if he wants on, and given Trump is the front runner. But yeah, they were stupid. It’s a unfortunate problem.
This is another reminder why I stopped watching CNN two years ago.
I ditched cable (thus CNN) seven years ago, and I’ve somehow survived
Keep telling yourself that. Idiot..
Got a burr under your saddle cowboy???
Is this a put down? I’m sure you could do better.
LOL. When you need to start making statements defending your decisions…that says it all, doesn’t it? If you had any credibility (and seeing what you’ve done at CNN since your inception, there’s not much left) it’s pretty much gone now. But you did what your billionaire bosses wanted, so your job is safe, I’m sure.
The problem with media today is that they are committed to make “….a lot of news” and unconcerned with reporting the news.
Shame on you CNN and especially shame on you Mr. Licht. You have just besmirched your integrity with that comment.
Giving a two timed impeached president, a convicted sex offender and a delusional and vile man a platform did not serve Americans well and only feeds his colossal ego.
Sigh….He hasn’t been convicted of anything. If he had he couldn’t run. He was found liable.
This was about ratings and ad dollars. That’s it.
BINGO!
Town Halls are generally meant to be a “get to know you” style of interview for candidates… so what exactly was the purpose of this? We all know Trump VERY well after his two presidential runs and four years in office. What new information did viewers learn?
And how has CNN not learned from its own mistakes? Trump has been given more of a mainstream news platform than any other politician because of how much constant reporting is done on him. Stop giving him airtime to spread his insanity!
“ He said “hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story” because those people represent “a large swath of America” that has formerly been ignored in election coverage.”
MAGA voters have been ignored by the media?!! Good lord, how much more could we possibly hear from and about this faction of voters? Chris Licht should be fired just on the basis of that ridiculously blatant lie alone.
It seems clear than Chris Licht wants CNN to pick up the pieces of Fox’s empire as it crumbles.. Why else would he give DJT a 1-hour free informational and fill the audience so with right-wing terrorists and then release them on a Newbie moderator?
This is why I’ve stopped watching your channel!!!!!
They need the ratings
Simply a ratings grab, hoping to bring more conservative (MAGA Republican) viewers into the fold, especially now that Fox is suffering from its booting of Carlson.
I doubt the MAGAs would tune it regularly to CNN. They’ll go to Newsmax or something else
Wouldn’t a true town hall have a diverse audience, not a packed room of sycophants?
No they’re not ignored. Anyone who would attend a Trump town hall is vastly over-reported on. If media spent just half the coverage time obsessing over Trump voters on covering people who don’t vote and why they don’t vote, they might actually make a difference.
This Town Hall was staged due to CNN’s drastic fall in ratings over the many months. Now that Fox has fell from grace they see an opening and Trump was a coup they TRIED to use to increase their overall viewers. It’s still CNN and he did very well in spite of Ms Collins.
I know that CNN’s new CEO Chris Licht wanted to increase their dwindling ratings by adding more right-wing content and guests. But that was just downright irresponsible. CNN is contributing to the demise of our democracy. I dont think I can forgive them for this.
Trump has abused so many Women that he doesn’t even “remember” some of them. Trump is a sad human with his Own Memory issues,maybe his age has something to do with it.
You sound jealous or insincere.
But very, very accurate.
I know that CNN’s new CEO Chris Licht wanted to increase their dwindling ratings by adding more right-wing content and guests. But that was just downright irresponsible. CNN is contributing to the demise of our democracy. I once relied on them for unbiased reporting and well-done news shows, but grubbing for ratings while giving that divisive, propagandizing, abusive, repulsive liar a forum is beyond what I can accept. I don’t think I can forgive them for this. I feel nauseated, and I won’t be watching CNN anymore.
I hope CNN’s ratings continue to plummet until they are no more.
Did you watch the program from start to finish? If so did your controller malfunction? Perhaps you should have stopped watching long ago. CNN has long been one sided on political issue, especially on Trump so what did you expect, love and flowers.
It’s the same tired show he always puts on. I’m so sick of his lies. You Republucans who support that rubbish need to grow a pair.