This is CNN

Commentary stopped watching CNN sometime last year. I told you that.

I watched the Donald Trump townhall on CNN last night. I didn’t want to rely on the news reports to find out how it went. I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

Here is this from Daily Beast:

As CNN faces heat for allowing Donald Trump its platform to spew more lies—and insult both E. Jean Carroll and town hall host Kaitlan Collins—the outlet is doubling down on its decision, issuing a statement backing Collins for the “tough” interview Wednesday night. In response to critics, including, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, CNN said: “Tonight Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions. And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner. That is CNN’s role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account.” Collins had other supporters, including The New York Times Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker, who said that Collins was “in an impossible position but did a heroic job of fact-checking Trump throughout the town hall. No easy task given how many factually untrue things he said in such a short time. Collins is a true pro and showed what a stellar journalist she is.” On Truth Social afterwards, Trump posted: “Hope everyone enjoyed CNN tonight. The New Hampshire audience was AMAZING. Thank you!”

This is also from Daily Beast:

Former President Donald Trump, clearly on a high after his town hall appearance with CNN on Wednesday night, thanked the “amazing” audience that cheered on his election lies and personal attacks on his rape accuser. “Hope everyone enjoyed CNN tonight. The New Hampshire audience was AMAZING. Thank you!,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after the event. Alongside his message, Trump reposted a string of comments from his supporters who praised him for “steamrolling” CNN and its moderator Kaitlan Collins. Among the supporters were Governor of West Virginia Jim Justice, who said Trump “dominated” the event, and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said she was “so proud” of the former president, adding “GREAT JOB! He is truly showing everyone why he is the president America needs.”

I don’t know what CNN was trying to accomplish. If this was to boost their ratings, we will soon find out how many folks were watching.

If this was a CNN appeal to get more conservative voters as viewers, it is not going to work. They have other preferred faux news sources to watch.

I wasn’t impressed with how moderator Kaitlan Collins handled the townhall.

I am sure she was prepared. I am just wondering if the CNN honchos told her not to be too aggressive on pushing back on the Trump lies.

America needed more than just fact checking after every lie Trump told last night.

We needed to hear Collins forcefully say that he lost the election, and he was a loser who wouldn’t accept the will of the voters.

CNN left him off the hook on all his lies last night.

CNN certainly knew how he would behave. CNN just wasn’t prepared. Collins was probably prepared.  They needed a better strategy on how to deal with his lies.

CNN played a dangerous game with our democracy last night and lost.

I then started to watch the CNN talking heads last night and they had as one of their panelists, an election denier. That was it for me.

Last night was a reminder on why I stopped watching CNN.

CNN is certainly doing its part again to make sure Trump is the GOP nominee in 2024.

This is today’s CNN, folks.

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Cristian Javier pitched a good game yesterday as the team held on to win in Anaheim. We have today off. It’s Thursday.