The Trump Show Returns
The first major television event of the 2024 presidential race will be held tonight, on CNN. The network is hosting a live town hall in New Hampshire with Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins will moderate the event, which will also feature questions from New Hampshire Republicans and undecided voters. This isn't the first town hall event to feature a presidential candidate, but it will be the first one that draws a very wide audience, so it can be seen as the real kickoff to the campaign season.
CNN is already getting some grief for inviting Trump onto their network, but the alternative that some seem to prefer would be for all the major networks (both cable and broadcast) other than far-right propaganda outlets to shun Trump during the entire race. Which isn't going to happen -- nor should it. Trump is many things, to be sure, but he is currently leading all the polls of Republican voters -- by a lot. He regularly charts over 50 percent support, and his closest challenger struggles to even match half of Trump's support. Are the news networks really supposed to just ignore a candidate like that? Hardly. If Trump were polling at five percent, he'd be ignorable -- but not at 55 percent.
What CNN (and any other network hosting a similar event) is going to need to do is to prepare. They've got to be able to fact-check Trump in real time, which can be a serious challenge. Trump isn't like other politicians, who might utter a falsehood or two now and again, Trump blasts his lies out with the strength and volume of a firehose. Getting a word in edgewise will be a challenge with Trump (just ask anyone he's ever debated on stage with).
But the effort to set the record straight must be made. Fortunately, once Trump settles on a lie and fits it into his own false worldview, he usually just keeps repeating the same lie over and over again. So CNN should know what to expect, at least on a lot of the things Trump might have to defend against. It will be a challenge to keep up with him, but it can be done.
We already know, for instance, what Trump is going to say about this week's verdict against him in the E. Jean Carroll case. He's going to call her a liar. He's going to call the whole thing a witch hunt. He's going to make some demeaning and disgusting comments about women in general. He's going to insist on his own innocence. The only real surprise Trump could offer up would be to throw his own lawyers under the bus (rumor is he's not very happy with the verdict or their legal strategy). On this issue, at least it will be easy for CNN to be prepared with the facts.
Trump hasn't faced any hostile questioning on live television for a long time. He's done interviews with rightwing hosts that can only be described as "fawning," but he hasn't been confronted with tough or adversarial questions since he was president. Will he be able to take it for two solid hours? Will he throw an epic tantrum or otherwise melt down in some spectacular fashion? That is what a whole lot of people will be tuning in to see.
Trump will no doubt vent his spleen on both President Joe Biden and the other Republican candidates running against him for his party's nomination. That much seems certain. Ron DeSantis will be a prime target for Trump, since he's the only other Republican who has seen even double-digit support in the polls. Trump's appearance on CNN is itself a taunt of DeSantis, who refuses to speak to any news outlet that isn't blatantly conservative to begin with. Trump is saying: "I'm not afraid of CNN," and he'll doubtlessly point this out in one way or another.
For almost two and a half years now, America has not been faced with Donald Trump dominating the news cycles on a daily basis. Trump has been in the news, of course, and some coverage of these events has risen to what can only be called "fever pitch" -- such as the spectacle of following Trump live from his golf resort in Florida to a New York courthouse for his indictment, and then all the way home again. The airwaves haven't been completely Trump-free, in other words. But Trump has lost his ability to instantly be the center of the media universe whenever the mood struck him (which it usually did, multiple times each and every day). Tonight will be a return to that center stage for Trump.
Of course, it is still ridiculously early for voters to be paying attention to next year's election. The Republican Party scheduled their first debate for August, and even that was seen as wildly early by most people. For Trump, the upside to tonight's exposure has the possibility to be enormous. He's already well on his way to locking up the Republican primary race, and a nationwide audience listening to him brag about this fact may serve to strengthen his standing in the GOP polls. This is why Trump agreed to the town hall in the first place, obviously. If he can crush all his challengers early on, he knows he will skate to the nomination.
Donald Trump, at this point, is a known quantity. Few people exist who are truly undecided about how they feel about him. Few viewers will tune in thinking: "Well, let's see what this fellow Trump has to say, as I am unsure about where he stands." People will watch either to cheer him on as he takes his fight straight to what he calls the "fake news," or they will watch to jeer and ridicule Trump. Both sides will be tuning in to see if there will be any fireworks. Trump's signature bluster almost guarantees it, after all. CNN's ratings for the night will no doubt soar.
Buckle up, America. It may indeed be ridiculously early, but the 2024 presidential campaign is going to get fully underway tonight. Or to put this another way: Trump is going to be on television screens a lot more often, from this point on. Our two-plus-year break from the Trump Show is over. The new season starts tonight... unfortunately or fortunately, as Trump himself might put it.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Trump is many things, to be sure, but he is currently leading all the polls of Republican voters -- by a lot.
He's also leading Biden, by enough.
Oh, I'm sorry - those are all outlier polls!
Trump is saying: "I'm not afraid of CNN," and he'll doubtlessly point this out in one way or another.
Why on earth should Trump be afraid of CNN!?
He's already well on his way to locking up the Republican primary race, and a nationwide audience listening to him brag about this fact may serve to strengthen his standing in the GOP polls.
Not to mention the non-partisan general election polls and all of those, ah, outliers.
Even CNN is now talking out loud about Trump's return to the White House.
I managed to catch part of it listening specifically for evidence that could be used by prosecutors in a court of law as admissions and intent, and I definitely did catch some.
Trump admitted knowledge and intent regarding his theft of classified documents. Trump admitted he took the documents and that the Presidential Records Act says he has the right to do it (no, it does not). He also says when he took them it means they're "declassified" (no, it does not).
Regarding the January 6 rioting, Trump admitted his followers listened to him, proving he knows the impact his words have with the cult. That only helps the prosecution.
Trump admitted
Oh, yes, the prosecutors will save you!
Elizabeth Miller
5
Oh, yes, the prosecutors will save you!
It isn't about prosecutors saving me or anybody else, Canada. It's about Trump's ignorant mouth making him liable for his crimes in a court of law.
Lsaving me or anyone else, Canada. It
It's actually about too many people thinking that Trump's demise will come inside a courtroom.
That 'you' in [5] was not meant to be construed personally, Kick. I was going to use 'us' but, I'm in Canada, so ...I'm geographically immune, I hope. :)
Elizabeth Miller
7
It's actually about too many people thinking that Trump's demise will come inside a courtroom.
No, Canada, and still breathtakingly incorrect even after I told you it was about Trump's ignorant mouth making him liable for his crimes in a court of law. It wasn't about his "demise" at all.
If you're under the mistaken impression that you somehow get to rethink and/or redefine my words or that you can somehow read the minds of "many people," what you might want to rethink is that stunning overestimation of yours.
"Take a break. You don't have to be a prick every day of your life."
Heh.
What movie is that line from?
Btw, Kick, my comments here are not about you so, chill. :)
Elizabeth Miller
8
That 'you' in [5] was not meant to be construed personally, Kick.
I did not interpret it personally... just covered all the bases.
I was going to use 'us' but, I'm in Canada,
Hence, my use of the term "Canada" in [6].
so ...I'm geographically immune, I hope. :)
Nope. :)
Elizabeth Miller
12
Btw, Kick, my comments here are not about you so, chill. :)
When you respond to one of my posts in that kind of asinine manner and then further double down on your gross misinterpretation of what I actually posted, it's not about me, Canada, it's definitely about you.
You're entitled to your opinion; you're not entitled to misinterpret mine and run with it.
That's the time when it makes sense to use a familiar plural, such as y'all, youse, or my personal philly favorite, yinz.
Was that from say anything?
Pretty sure it was "Platoon."
It's one of her favorite ad hominem attack quotes... which she uses when she's not busy admonishing other posters how they should not post ad hominem attacks. *laughs*
Okay so at least i got the time period right. Also, say anything had something similar:
"Oh, I feel like a dick. You must think I'm a dick."
That's the time when it makes sense to use a familiar plural, such as y'all, youse, or my personal philly favorite, yinz.
I shall remember that!