He would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours and pardon rioters from the storming of the Capitol: Ex-US President Trump asked questions from the public on CNN – and handed them out properly.
It only took a few minutes before it was clear that Donald Trump would remain true to himself that evening. “If you’re not a very stupid person, you see what happens,” he said. “Most people understand that this was a rigged election.”
There it was again, Trump’s lie about the stolen election, and apparently he wants to make it his leitmotif again in the coming election campaign. He kept coming back to this topic and didn’t let CNN presenter Kaitlan Collins dissuade him. The election hadn’t been manipulated, she kept telling him in his flow of words, he couldn’t say that all evening. Yes, he could – and many viewers in the hall agreed with him.
First appearance in seven years
CNN scheduled the hour-long discussion with Trump in Manchester, New Hampshire. Republican supporters and undecided voters were invited. And they provided a more than friendly backdrop for Trump’s first CNN appearance in seven years.
Many loudly applauded, laughed at his comments and were amused when he attacked the presenter. She was a nasty person, Trump said after an exchange of blows about Collins. He also dealt out to the author E. Jean Carroll. He doesn’t know her, she’s a nutcase, Trump claimed. There was laughter for that too – a day after Trump was convicted of sexual assault against her.
Cheers at prime time
Trump was able to experience how his topics ignited live in front of an audience at prime time. Cheers for his announcement that he would pardon a large portion of the convicted January 6 rioters. Cheers for his affirmation that it is not the gun that pulls the trigger, but the human being, which is why he will defend the right to own guns. Cheers for his claim that if he were president he would end the war against Ukraine in 24 hours.
How? By bringing together the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. Should Ukraine win? Trump didn’t want to commit to that. He doesn’t think in terms of winning or losing. He’s thinking of arranging this so that you can stop killing all these people.
criticism of CNN
One thing seems clear after this discussion: Trump does not have to fear that his supporters will turn their backs on him. No, he also said, there couldn’t be that many. His poll numbers just went up.
Trump last appeared on CNN in 2016. The fact that CNN was now giving him prime time had been criticized in advance. Other television stations asked whether the station wanted to move to the right, or whether it was right to give such a platform to someone who had called for the storming of the Capitol. Others defended the decision, after all, Trump is an important political figure.
Trump himself filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN in the fall. The broadcaster has used the term “big lie” thousands of times in connection with Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was rigged. With this, CNN wanted to defame him and politically finish him off. At least that didn’t happen last night.