Coping and Seething Ensues By Personalities And Outlets Against CNN's Trump Town Hall Event

Rick Wilson, the co-founder of the Anti-Trump Lincoln Project, was not the only one going off on deranged rants against Trump's successful performance at CNN's Town Hall event in New Hampshire. Breitbart News covered many similar reactions by various personalities and outlets as Mr. Wilson. 

Prominently cited by Breitbart was Representative Alexandria Osacio-Cortez's (D-NY) lamentation that "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."

Meghan McCain, daughter of Senator John McCain (R-AZ) who had a rivalrous relationship with Donald Trump, called the town hall "a Trump infomercial." Journalists were also not in a good mood. Matt Fuller, the Washington Bureau Chief for The Daily Beast, wrote of the event that "This is an irresponsible disaster of journalism. We have absolutely learned nothing." He also tweeted that it was a "[t]ough night for the truth."

 

Tough night for the truth.

But THE RATINGS...

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) May 11, 2023

Similarly, Michael Weiss, a senior correspondent for Yahoo News, stated, revealingly, that, "[t]his is really not going how CNN must have thought or hoped it would go." Weiss added that "He [Trump] is steamrolling, getting laughs for his crassest comments, and seems far more self-assured and confident than someone this deep in the soup should be.
 

 

The aforementioned Rick Wilson tweeted "He’s got total control of this interview and Kaitlin Collins is getting utterly incinerated." Wilson's Lincoln Project also released a press statement demanding that "[i]f democracy is to survive, then the media cannot follow CNN down the rabbit hole and treat Donald Trump like a ratings booster." It called on media outlets to "NOT NORMALIZE DONALD TRUMP" and whined that "CNN’s malpractice cannot be repeated if our democracy is to survive." The Lincoln Project, which just advocated for the deplatforming of a political candidate and censorship in elections, then had the gall to call itself "a leading pro-democracy organization in the United States — dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy."

Mr. Wilson, after tweeting a storm lamenting about the town hall, proceeded to tweet, "Good Lord the MAGAe were heartily triggered by my video last night. So much hate combined with unwarranted triumphalism lol. Bless their little hearts."
 

Good Lord the MAGAe were heartily triggered by my video last night. So much hate combined with unwarranted triumphalism lol.

Bless their little hearts.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) May 11, 2023

The editor-in-chief of Politicus USA called the event in an article she wrote "a total disaster" and complained about how "CNN’s Kaitlin Collins is being steamrolled by Trump" and how CNN gave a platform for "Trump to lie". She continued her piece by lamenting that "The CNN town hall is a disaster for both CNN and the nation. A broomstick could have replaced Kaitlin Collins, and the broomstick would be more effective at stopping Trump and correcting his lies." She then contradicted herself in her piece when she wrote, "She [Collins] is not trying to stop Trump, and she lets him say the lie and then offers a flat-voiced correction. There is no accountability for Trump at the CNN Town Hall." 

Having a media personality bleet out various "flat-voiced corrections" is that personality taking a side especially when she does not substantiate on what Trump is saying is a lie. It is also a violation of the town hall spirit which is where the voter and not the press directly interacts with a political candidate for office.