Liberals lose it over 'disgusting' Trump town hall on CNN
'Outnumbered' panelists discuss the backlash facing CNN after its town hall with the leading 2024 Republican presidential candidate.
The "Outnumbered" panelists ripped Democrats and liberal media pundits for their outrage at former President Trump’s Wednesday night town hall on CNN.
The 2024 Republican front-runner's appearance triggered a fierce backlash against the liberal network for allowing him on the air. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said CNN should be "ashamed of themselves," while "The View’s" Sunny Hostin said she was "disgusted" by the event. MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough labeled it "disgraceful on every level."
"Outnumbered" co-host Emily Compagno explained that critics’ primary issue was that Trump was given a platform to speak.
TRUMP'S DEBATE STRATEGY: SKIP THE EARLY ONES AND BASH THE MEDIA
Former President Trump lashed out at CNN's Kaitlan Collins, calling her a "nasty person" during a heated exchange about his handling of classified documents. (Screenshot/CNN)
Co-host Kayleigh McEnany said the response was "amazing."
"Donald Trump is leading in every single national poll you look at. Every single one - double digits. He is the leading frontrunner for the Republican nomination right now. And the thought that he wouldn't deserve a voice in American politics? What is wrong with these people?" McEnany asked.
She argued the backlash is coming from people who live in an echo chamber and aren't exposed to Americans’ diverse viewpoints.
"Thankfully, we live in a country where the people decide who the president is, not the media," she said.
Co-host Harris Faulkner offered support for CNN’s decision to host Trump. She suggested it was an attempt to expand the network’s audience to include more conservative viewers, which ultimately sparked outrage from their base.
"People on the left do feel like that was just too much of a platform for Donald Trump," she said.
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - APRIL 27: Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. ((Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images))
Podcast host Ben Ferguson added that CNN went against the left’s strategy to silence Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
"This is how they think they're going to win. You put somebody out there like Donald Trump and then you give all the reasons why you're justified in silence and censoring him, which is exactly what they did last time," Ferguson explained.
"They do not want any Republican on stage with Joe Biden because they know that it will destroy Joe Biden," he said.
Washington Examiner’s Kaylee McGhee White suggested an alternative reason behind Democrats’ outrage at the town hall.
"I don't think that Democrats are necessarily upset that Trump was given a platform on CNN. I think that they're upset that during that platform, people cheered for Trump and liked what he had to say," she said.
White went on to argue that liberal media outlets are censoring Trump because they believe the American public is "too stupid" to think for themselves and come to conclusions about what Trump has to say.
"It is a very elitist attitude to talk down to Midwestern voters who voted for Trump in 2016, who voted for him again in 2020, who might vote again for him in 2024 and tell them, ‘No, actually, you don't get to hear the former president. You don't get to decide for yourself what you think about him,’" she said.
"That is the Democrats’ attitude."
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