# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/141 "2023-05-11T21:41:50Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Likley the first time many directly saw his act and it disgusted them, as it should. True, it was a way to expose what Trump and his followers are to the people who have been in a coma in a cave on Mars for the past seven years. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/142 "2023-05-11T22:25:02Z")
This was probably 2018-2019 christmas party at my moms house and she has a few MAGA friends. I said “He’s a con man, Trump University is all you need to know”. That led to an awkward silence and Trump was no longer discussed. So at least it did shut them up. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/143 "2023-05-11T22:48:42Z")
That’s along the lines of what “Beau of the Fifth Column” said on You Tube, and I want to believe he’s correct. Basically that the only people who would go to the trouble of traveling to a “town hall” featuring trump would be mostly trumpists, and that’s why the audience laughed at trump’s disgusting comments. I am getting so worried, though. Prices are not showing much evidence of going down, and Biden doesn’t have the best popularity rating. A president who is presiding over this set of circumstances - inflation, war in Ukraine, a Congress that won’t give him any laws to sign that would be good for the citizens of this country, etc. - will have a tough time winning the next election. And trump is right there, ready to spew any lie to win. We need to vote so hard. We need all the Gen Z’s we can get. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/144 "2023-05-11T22:53:20Z")
Would anyone else really WANT to be there in the first place? ---
**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 11, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/145 "2023-05-11T22:57:24Z")
Yeah, yeah. I guess “town hall” really is a mysterious concept. ---
**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 11, 2023, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/146 "2023-05-11T23:01:44Z")
This had nothing to do with exposing Trump, and everything to do with grabbing those viewers that are leaving Fox. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/147 "2023-05-11T23:22:04Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > A president who is presiding over this set of circumstances - inflation, war in Ukraine, a Congress that won’t give him any laws to sign that would be good for the citizens of this country, etc. - will have a tough time winning the next election. And trump is right there, ready to spew any lie to win. Of course, there’s always the possibility that Trump will, by this time next year, have been convicted of any number of felonies. That won’t necessarily keep him from running and winning, of course, but if it doesn’t our nation deserves to go down in flames anyway. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/148 "2023-05-11T23:25:29Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > This had nothing to do with exposing Trump, and everything to do with grabbing those viewers that are leaving Fox. Then why didn’t they assign a Trumpy moderator, or at least order the moderator to be studiously neutral when DJT utterly obvious lies? I don’t want to fully defend CNN because of being rather TV avoidant. But it doesn’t seem to me that they have a duty to reduce Trump’s chances of election. They do have a duty to show him for what he is, and that seems to have been fulfilled. Also, if CNN didn’t do this, then all the televised Trump town halls would be at venues where the moderator was pro-Trump. I admit to being put off by the audience partisanship. But I presume CNN will offer a similar platform to Biden, and he won’t have to face down voters from the other party either. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/149 "2023-05-11T23:34:00Z")
The problem here is treating Trump like he’s a serious person and a serious candidate. Yes, he might win, but that doesn’t make him serious. Good journalist should accept that Trump is actively hostile to truth and fact and take that into account when talking to him. ---
**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, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/150 "2023-05-12T00:03:16Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The problem here is treating Trump like he’s a serious person and a serious candidate. Yes, he might win, but that doesn’t make him serious. Good journalist should accept that Trump is actively hostile to truth and fact and take that into account when talking to him. This was done: [Town Hall Transcript](https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/transcript-cnn-town-hall-trump/index.html) > [@](#): > > Mr. President, back to what you just said there, though, it was not a rigged election. It was not a stolen election. You and your supporters lost more than 60 court cases on the election. And it’s been nearly two-and-a-half years. So I am sure the moderator took his hostility to truth into account. She didn’t hector him, or lower herself to his level. And when Biden is interviewed, he will also, and properly, face attempts at the very difficult art of real-time fact-checking. Being one-sided isn’t going save the republic. ---
**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, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/151 "2023-05-12T00:09:40Z")
You sound like you didn’t watch any of it. ---
**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, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/152 "2023-05-12T00:16:30Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Of course, there’s always the possibility that Trump will, by this time next year, have been convicted of any number of felonies. That won’t necessarily keep him from running and winning, of course, but if it doesn’t our nation deserves to go down in flames anyway. Glenn Kirchner on how trump can actually serve as president from prison. This would be entertaining in an “Idiocrasy” sort of way. [https://youtu.be/gm3YUtaxgu8?t=427](https://youtu.be/gm3YUtaxgu8?t=427) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/153 "2023-05-12T00:16:57Z")
That’s not what I mean. There’s no point in challenging Trump on the facts like that, like you would for a serious politician who says something dubious. Fact check in the studio afterwards. I don’t know if there’s a perfect strategy, but simply challenging and refuting false statements isn’t it. I’d ask him how it felt to lose the election. And what lies will he use to try and win the next one when the last lies failed. Why does almost everyone you hire end up betraying you? Why are you so bad at hiring staff and cabinet that will stick with you? Do you think your loss to Carroll in the courtroom will inspire other women to try and make you a loser one again? Trump’s game is dominance and humiliation. If I were interviewing him, I’d try that. If he walks out, that’s fine with me. Better than him just repeating his lies again and again. There’s no serious way to interview such a liar. ---
**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, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/154 "2023-05-12T00:17:46Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Then why didn’t they assign a Trumpy moderator, or at least order the moderator to be studiously neutral when DJT utterly obvious lies? Because they aren’t cartoon villains. They are obviously testing the waters, letting Trump know that he can come to them and only face token opposition. > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I admit to being put off by the audience partisanship. But I presume CNN will offer a similar platform to Biden, and he won’t have to face down voters from the other party either. Except that they (and we) know that Biden won’t insist on stuffing the audience with fans, won’t talk over the top of the moderator, won’t personally insult the moderator, and won’t tell a shit ton of blatant lies. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/155 "2023-05-12T00:20:55Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > So I am sure the moderator took his hostility to truth into account. Not effectively. From the few minutes that I watched, and everything I’ve been hearing,CNN made two major blunders organizing this thing: the moderation was obsequious and ineffective (Trump just talked right over Collins) and the audience seemed to all be Trump supporters. CNN was so focused on creating a commercial spectacle starring Trump that they forgot to do journalism, which is their first and only job. Instead they created The Trump Show, starring Donald Trump, and gave him a tremendous showcase. No, I don’t think (as someone said upthread) that CNN literally wants Trump to win, but this was such monumental incompetence on the part of CNN that Trump turned it into a campaign rally. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/156 "2023-05-12T00:28:14Z")
CNN jumped the shark. They also delegated getting the audience to outside people and orgs that took advantage of the situation. And I’m sure Trump negotiated a certain amount of pro-Trump people in the audience before accepting the invite. ---
**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, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/157 "2023-05-12T00:34:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Except that they (and we) know that Biden won’t insist on stuffing the audience with fans, won’t talk over the top of the moderator, won’t personally insult the moderator, and won’t tell a shit ton of blatant lies. Biden shouldn’t personally insist on a Democratic audience. But his staff will be derelict if they risk getting Biden into a shouting match with Trumpers. I agree Biden won’t insult the moderator, and that he will utter fewer untruths. Some of few thousand who saw both shows and came in with an open mind (less political new teenage voters, or, perhaps, immigrants who recently learned English) will be impressed with Biden’s demeanor. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/158 "2023-05-12T00:38:59Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > They also delegated getting the audience to outside people and orgs that took advantage of the situation. Not according to [this](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/how-was-the-audience-for-the-cnn-trump-town-hall-selected/ar-AA1b42gd) article: > New Hampshire GOP Chairman Chris Ager said CNN handled all the selecting of audience members and audience questions. He said he was allotted a few seats to invite attendees, but the people he invited didn’t ask questions during the town hall. > > More than a week before the event, the New Hampshire GOP distributed an email with a link to a questionnaire to be filled out by those interested in attending the town hall and submitting questions. The 15-question form asked potential attendees about their party affiliation, who they voted for in the 2020 presidential election, whether they worked or volunteered for a political party within the past decade, and whether they plan to vote in New Hampshire’s GOP presidential primary. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/159 "2023-05-12T00:39:40Z")
It was mentioned upthread that the intended audience was Trump voters and “undecided” voters. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873/160 "2023-05-12T00:51:08Z")
Maybe they should’ve used Acosta instead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cnn-town-hall-with-donald-trump-may-10-2023/983873.md?page=9)