Donald Trump returned to prime-time mainstream television on Wednesday evening when he took part in a CNN town hall event in New Hampshire, using the platform to repeat debunked lies about the 2020 presidential election, praise Vladimir Putin and rehash other familiar falsehoods, prompting the network to attract criticism for hosting him.
CNN’s own anchors were among those questioning the broadcast, with Jake Tapper lashing out at the ex-president for calling a Black law enforcement officer “a thug” and for making fun of E Jean Carroll’s sexual assault.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and veteran DC police officer Michael Fanone likewise criticised the programme, with the New York representative saying the network should be “ashamed”.
The town hall came just one day after Mr Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming the ex-Elle magazine columnist by a Manhattan jury, who ruled he must pay Ms Carroll $5m in damages. Mr Trump referred to the victim as a “whack job” and again insisted he had never met her.
Mr Trump barrelled through the hour-long broadcast in a blizzard of dishonest statements, at times talking over moderator Kaitlan Collins’s fact-checking and requests that he answer the questions asked.
