For some Republicans, Democrats, and journalists, CNN\u2019s disastrous 70-minute town hall with Donald Trump proved what everyone thought it would be: a desperate network featuring a twice-impeached, criminally indicted wannabe despot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Trump presidential campaign rally, poorly disguised as a town hall, even received criticism from CNN\u2019s own journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was an interesting night,\u201d longtime CNN anchor Jake Tapper observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTrump\u2019s first lie was told just seconds into the night with his false, familiar claim that the 2020 election was, quote, a rigged election.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tapper wasn\u2019t finished with his criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd the falsehoods kept coming, fast and furious, about the January 6 insurrection, about the threat to Vice President Pence, about Pence\u2019s ability to overturn the election, about COVID, about the economy, and more,\u201d he railed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cable network\u2019s media reporter, Oliver Darcy, proved equally disturbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening,\u201d Darcy wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For his part, Trump was as bombastic and dishonest as ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He claimed that his long-promised wall on the southern U.S. border was complete, although evidence and the naked eye proved him wrong long ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to reaffirming the Big Lie that the 2020 election was rigged, Trump declared that he would pardon many of the convicted rioters who bombarded the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the violence and the vows of some insurrectionists to hang former Vice President, Mike Pence, Trump incredulously said during the town hall that Pence was never in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis poised to level charges against Trump for trying to influence the outcome of the 2020 election in the Peach State, Trump doubled down on his false contentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He even offered a defense to pressuring the secretary of state to \u201cfind\u201d him more votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, I called questioning the election,\u201d Trump stated. \u201cI said, \u2018You owe me votes because the election was rigged.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, CNN released a statement praising the town hall\u2019s host, Kaitlan Collins, for her \u201ctough, fair, and revealing questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is CNN\u2019s role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account,\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, once a close friend of Trump, called the program \u201ca disgraceful performance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m constantly telling people not to catastrophize over Trump that he\u2019s actually going to lose because he keeps drilling down deeper and deeper into his base,\u201d Scarborough railed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was disgraceful on every level,\u201d Scarborough added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt showed\u2014I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s dangerous for democracy because we passed that a long time ago \u2014 but it showed the corrosive effects of Trumpism over eight years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continued:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe most shocking part was an audience who cheered on a president who tried to overturn American democracy, an audience that mocked and ridiculed the woman who a jury of her peers, Donald Trump\u2019s peers, found had been sexually assaulted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose Americans, their last night turned that into a punchline, laughed and dismissed. Cops getting the shit kicked out of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn January 6. Beaten up over and over again, calling a cop a thug who actually was trying to stop people from the House floor from being killed. I could go. I just could go on and on, basically saying he would turn over Ukraine to Vladimir Putin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some Republicans also criticized the town hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Republican Matt Whitlock, who worked for the late Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), said in a tweet that \u201cTrump\u2019s performance tonight had plenty of fun fodder for his biggest fans,\u201d but it was \u201ctoxic nuclear waste for the moderates and independents he (and Republicans everywhere) should be winning as Biden collapses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n