# CNN Town Hall with Donald Trump: May 10, 2023 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 11, 2023, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873 "2023-05-11T00:01:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/201 "2023-05-12T15:35:54Z")
nm Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/202 "2023-05-12T15:36:39Z")
It’d be great if the news media, the public, and politicians/pundits/influencers would swear off “debates”, whether in a town hall format or the more traditional politicians-at-lecterns-with-alleged-moderators. These things are all about preening/ego displays, expressing sound bites, Gish galloping and hoping to catch opponents in a “gaffe”. They have little or nothing to do with competence and sound policies, yet a lot of people still believe that eloquently written/posted arguments and speeches\* are nothing without a meaningless face-to-face bitchfest. The only semi-worthwhile debates would be ones with strict anti-bullshit ground rules, in which moderators had the ability and guts to cut off a candidate’s microphone as soon as he/she started evading the subject in order to push talking points, personal attacks and other irrelevancies. \*not that political speeches generally have much to offer. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/203 "2023-05-12T15:50:49Z")
Yes! Oops. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/204 "2023-05-12T17:31:35Z")
Without the power to cut off his mic, without the ability to kick him off the set, no moderator could have done a damn thing. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/205 "2023-05-12T17:39:29Z")
I’d still like to see Stewart or Goldman or Medhi Hasan try. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/206 "2023-05-12T17:39:59Z")
He called her nasty, I believe thats what they were going for. She should have responded back forcefully, she choked and missed a golden opportunity. Should have been prepared for Donald being Donald. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/207 "2023-05-12T17:44:44Z")
As far as cutting his mike, he’d love that. “So unfair, they’re silencing me” blablabla. But I’d set the rules that the moderator gets to set a time-limit of at least 60 seconds for an answer, and then his mike goes dead. “Mr. Trump, can you tell us in under two minutes if you would pardon the J6 insurrectionists currently in prison?” Then the moderator gets to respond and he can no longer interrupt. Of course he wouldn’t do it, but those are the conditions for an hour on CNN, if I ran CNN. Which I never will. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/208 "2023-05-12T18:37:45Z")
The babies being murdered after they’re born- is that happening at the hospital, or do they wait until they’re home? I’m going to guess home, because there are too many potential whistleblowers in the hospital. So the family smiles, and acts like everything is wonderful, until they get home and kill the baby. And it’s happening ALL OVER! ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/209 "2023-05-12T18:42:15Z")
Biggest mistake IMO is the agreeing to a pro-Trump only audience. CNN was duped big time by this. They fell right into his trap. It allowed him to go unchecked and gave the appearance of legitimizing everything he said. It’s how dumb shows like America’s Got Talent manipulate the home viewers into which acts are good. Show an average singer along with edited footage of an audience giving a standing ovation and the home viewer thinks they are awesome. Show the same singer along with edited footage of a booing audience and they’ll think they’re terrible. Trump is all about perception and he just made it look like everyone laughs and cheers along with whatever he says by having a hand selected kiss-ass audience in front of him. “Oh, but we’ll fact check him immediately afterwards” Too late. His followers have turned the channel already and have already decided anything brought up after the fact is fake news out to get him. And they have already decided the public must love him since they heard it for themselves from the audience members, not the media. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/210 "2023-05-12T19:22:47Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > CNN was duped big time by this. Not duped. Complicit. ---
**Author:** ![SharltoCopley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sharltocopley/32/12309_2.png) [@SharltoCopley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharltoCopley)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/211 "2023-05-12T21:09:10Z")
I agree. I can’t see that kind of debate lasting more than a few minutes. Jon Stewart would just put his glasses on and go through a detailed list of Trump’s transgressions against people and the law, and even a crafty thug like him can’t keep up with the amount of bullshit that would have to be developed on the spot to challenge every point. Jon Stewart would remain focused and, no matter how long a digression lasts, will always go back to the list. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/212 "2023-05-12T21:13:08Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > CNN was duped big time by this. > [@Eonwe](#): > > Not duped. Complicit. Thank you. They’re not this this naive at CNN. They knew exactly what they were doing. ---
**Author:** ![SharltoCopley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sharltocopley/32/12309_2.png) [@SharltoCopley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharltoCopley)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/213 "2023-05-12T21:20:21Z")
And what do you think their motive was? To propel Trump’s campaign? Why would they do that? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/214 "2023-05-12T21:24:31Z")
Nevermind. Need to stop getting worked up over this clown act again. It’s going be a long shit show to 2024. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/215 "2023-05-12T21:35:04Z")
> [@SharltoCopley](#): > > And what do you think their motive was? To propel Trump’s campaign? Why would they do that? Ratings. It all comes down to ratings. If trump lovers will slavishly watch every second of trumpy propaganda, and if they make up the vast majority of people who would sit at home and watch tv all day, then CNN will make that the feature of their broadcast. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/216 "2023-05-12T21:43:09Z")
Hell, there are podcasts with more followers than CNN usually has viewers. They got something like 3 million that night. And Trump _had notes_. He was prepared. CNN is really just there to make money. Are there real journalists out there covering real stories? yes. But that “Clown Hall” wasn’t anything more than a grab for relevance and money. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/217 "2023-05-12T22:03:23Z")
Glen Kirschner doesn’t think CNN should have aired it but he points out the positives. Trump incriminated himself in multiple cases. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzJVr3hjriM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzJVr3hjriM) ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/218 "2023-05-12T23:40:10Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Biggest mistake IMO is the agreeing to a pro-Trump only audience. The key here is that every rule can and should be applied to all candidates. If they had partisan Democrats in Trump’s audience, basic fairness would dictate having Trumpers in Biden’s future audience. The resulting display of extreme audience anger, during both programs, would actually make Biden and Trump look more similar than will be the case with these rules. Every concession CNN made to Trump’s advance team needs to be considered in light of an expected Biden town hall. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/219 "2023-05-12T23:55:41Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Every concession CNN made to Trump’s advance team needs to be considered in light of an expected Biden town hall. So if Biden ignores questions, talks over the moderator and directly insults that person, that would make it all o.k. with you? Small problem with this solution: Biden isn’t an asshole, and doesn’t want to be an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/220 "2023-05-13T00:08:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > > > Every concession CNN made to Trump’s advance team needs to be considered in light of an expected Biden town hall. > > So if Biden ignores questions, talks over the moderator and directly insults that person, that would make it all o.k. with you? Of course not. That would show neither one deserved my vote. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Biden isn’t an asshole, and doesn’t want to be an asshole. That’s what I think. And I think it would be obscured if he had to choose between tangling with audience Trumpers and refusing to participate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873.md?page=12)