CNN issued a statement about its town hall with Donald Trump, amid some harsh criticism that it gave the former president a platform to spew falsehoods.
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A spokesperson 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.”
Donald Trump called Kaitlan Collins “a nasty person” as she pressed him on his withholding of classified material despite requests by the National Archives to return them.
The crowd cheered.
Collins did not react to the comment, and continued to ask him about the documents.
A number of Collins’ fellow journalists came to her defense as the town hall ended. The New York Times’ Peter Baker said that she 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.”
But the network itself is taking a drubbing on social media for giving Trump a platform, before a crowd of friendly supporters who gave him two standing ovations.