Article by Aida Sall, TPT Staff Writer

On May 10, CNN held a town hall with former president and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, hosted by journalist Kaitlan Collins.

As many have seen, there has been a lot of discourse regarding the network’s decision to hold such an event. Some have contended he should not have been given a platform, while others believe it was ultimately beneficial because it served to underscore his extremism — and personally, while I see both sides of the token, I ultimately believe CNN was in the wrong.

On the one hand, bigoted and dangerous rhetoric such as berating a survivor of sexual assault and calling the January 6 assault on democracy a ‘beautiful day,’ should not be platformed, especially from someone as dangerous as the former president. Mainstream social media companies have banned his account and networks should follow suit, as allowing him to have a platform poses severe ramifications.

In addition, many were rightfully angered at the fact that just one day earlier, Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation against E. Jean Carroll by a Manhattan jury, for which she was subsequently given $5 million. During the town hall, not only was Trump given visibility, but it was at the expense of Carroll, as the fervently Trump-supporting audience laughed when he mocked her for simply holding him accountable, calling her a ‘whack job.’

Furthermore, there needed to be clearer advantages to hosting the event. Firstly, I fundamentally reject the notion that in 2023, undecided voters exist regarding Trump; the entire nation has seen what he is capable of (polarizing the nation immensely, emboldening white supremacy, attempting to overthrow American democracy, and far more), what he is willing to do, and his complete lack of a moral compass in any capacity. Thus, he did not sway anyone; he merely demonstrated, yet again, how deeply unfit he is to govern this nation. Those who have willingly chosen to turn a blind eye, are emboldened by him, and believe he fundamentally represents their interests, are still rallying behind him — and they are not going away. Secondly, while many believe CNN hosted this event to increase their unfavorable ratings, they saw no increase in viewership after the event concluded.

While I do not believe this will have vast implications for 2024, the media should be cognizant and wary of how they cover Trump in the months leading up to the election. They cannot continue treating him like a normal candidate while, in actuality, he is far from it. During the event, he made ridiculous claims about a vast array of topics, ranging from refusing to declare support for Ukraine to repeating election fraud lies. Throughout its duration, had to constantly be fact-checked in real-time, and demeaned host Kaitlan Collins, who he called a “nasty person” — a sexist phrase he continually uses towards women who challenge him. In addition to Collins, he famously used the degrading phrase against former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Nonetheless, Trump is the highest-polling GOP candidate currently in the field, with a sizable margin — and needless to say, this town hall functioned to further fuel his existing base. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has established himself as an extremist and “anti-woke” crusader who has spent far too much time manufacturing culture war issues like attacking Disney and banning DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives, is a distant runner-up for the second highest-polling candidate.

Still, as right-wing support for Trump continues to swell, there was at least one unintended benefit of this town hall: the American public was able to see — and be reminded of — the immense danger Trump poses to our nation and the fundamental premise of our democracy.

The views articulated in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official stances of High School Democrats of America or The Progressive Teen.

Platforming Donald Trump: Why CNN Was in the Wrong for the Town Hall