MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 29: Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump takes part in a town hall ... [+]
Former President Donald Trump has rarely missed a chance to knock CNN, but he’s agreed to take part in a CNN town hall next week in New Hampshire—his first appearance on the network in years. CNN says Trump will take questions from Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in the state’s 2024 presidential primary, and CNN This Morning co-anchor Kaitlan Collins will serve as moderator. The town hall session, which will take place May 10 at St. Anselm College, will air live on CNN at 9 p.m. ET.
CNN anchor Jim Sciutto announced the town hall on the network’s CNN News Central Monday afternoon:
“CNN has a longstanding tradition of hosting leading presidential candidates for Town Halls and political events as a critical component of the network’s robust campaign coverage,” the network said in a statement. “This event with former President Trump will be the first of many for CNN in the coming months as CNN correspondents travel across the country to hear directly from voters in the runup to the 2024 presidential election.”
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 29: Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump enters the stage as he ... [+]
During his time in the White House, Trump often disparaged CNN as an “enemy of the people” and “fake news,” a phrase he repeated last month as he gloated over the network’s decision to fire morning anchor Don Lemon. “Good News: ‘The dumbest man on television,’ Don Lemon, has finally been fired from Fake News CNN. My only question is, WHAT TOOK THEM SO LONG?,” Trump said in a message posted to his Truth Social platform. “No wonder CNN’s ratings (MSNBC’s also) have gone down the tubes — and will stay there until they bring credibility back to the newsroom. Don’t hold your breath,” he added, repeating another of his favorite digs—that CNN’s ratings have collapsed.
Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a Make America Great Again rally in Manchester, New ... [+]
Trump clearly will put his issues with the network aside as he continues his 2024 campaign for the Republican nomination. He’s made several trips to New Hampshire in recent weeks—the most recent just last week—and has made headlines lobbing insults at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who’s expected to challenge Trump for the GOP nomination.