Former President Donald Trump appeared on CNN Wednesday night for a town hall with moderator Kaitlan Collins and an audience of Republican and independent voters.
Trump was… Trump – an unapologetic steamroller who didn’t let Collins bully him into admitting that he lost the 2020 election (and called Collins a “nasty person” at one point). Here are the top 10 moments from last night;
Rigged election
“You still have not acknowledged the 2020 election results, but you are also under active federal investigation for trying to overturn the 2020 election results,” said Collins. “Your first term ended with a deadly riot at the Capitol, and you still have not publicly acknowledged the 2020 election results. Why should Americans put you back in the White House?”
To which Trump replied: ““I think that when you look at that result, and when you look at what happened during that election, unless you’re a very stupid person, you see what happened. A lot of the people—out of the people in this audience and maybe a couple that don’t—but most people understand what happened was a rigged election. And it’s a shame that we had to go through it. It’s very bad for our country. All over the world, they looked at it and they saw exactly what everyone else [saw].”
Former President Trump on the 2020 Election:
“When you look at that result, and when you look at what happened during that election, unless you’re a very stupid person, you see what happened… That was a rigged election.” pic.twitter.com/TkkMMrTubI
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 11, 2023
January 6th
Trump and Collins tussled over the timeline of events on January 6th – pointing out that he called for peaceful protests.
COLLINS: “Why did it take you 3 hours to tell [Jan. 6 rioters] to go home?”
TRUMP: “I don’t believe it did. *check notes* On January 5th, the day before, I said ‘Please support our Capitol police and law enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful.'” pic.twitter.com/9rlTSoSX8k
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 11, 2023
Pardons?
Trump said he would pardon “many” of the January 6th protesters currently sitting in jail.
“I am inclined to pardon many of them,” Trump said. “I can’t say for every single one because a couple of them, probably, they got out of control. But, you know, when you look at Antifa, what they’ve done to them… then what they’ve done to these people, they persecuted these people. And yeah, my answer is, I am most likely if I get in, I will most likely—I wouldn’t say it will be a large portion of them. You know, they did a very [applause] and it’d be very early on,” he continued (via PJ Media).
New Hampshire Voter: “Will you pardon the January 6 rioters who were convicted of federal offenses?”
Former President Trump: “I am inclined to pardon many of them…” pic.twitter.com/mfde10qj2q
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 11, 2023
Ashli Babbitt
When told that “Over 140 officers were injured” during the incident, Trump replied: “And a person named Ashli Babbitt was killed. You know what? She was killed and she shouldn’t have been killed — and that thug that killed her — there was no reason to shoot her.”
COLLINS: “Over 140 officers were injured [on Jan. 6]”
TRUMP: “And a person named Ashli Babbitt was killed. You know what? She was killed and she shouldn’t have been killed — and that thug that killed her — there was no reason to shoot her.” pic.twitter.com/LielAxchIA
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 11, 2023
Mike Pence
Trump grabbed his former VP by the Pence for not sending the 2020 election back to the states for a 2nd bite at the apple, insisting that his former #2 “made a mistake.”
“His lawyer said, ‘You cannot move.’ I call them the human conveyor belt. I said, even if the votes… are absolutely fraudulent, he can say yes, or he can [send them back]… and the Democrats played it and the RINOs played it. And then the election was over. They told him he couldn’t do it. And Mike said to me, ‘I can’t do it. The lawyers told me you can’t do it. They can’t do it.’ The lawyers are wrong. Because right after the election, they all met, the RINOs and the Democrats, and they worked out a plan to make sure that future vice presidents don’t do what I said you could do.”
This is my favorite exchange from #CNNTownhall Trump crushed Kaitlan on the question of Pence’s authority to return electoral votes back to the states. 👏🏾👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/NZBv4jlpCf
— Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) May 11, 2023
The war in Ukraine
Collins tried to get Trump to submit to a purity test – asking if he wants Ukraine or Russia to win.
“I don’t think about it in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people,” Trump replied, insisting that he would have the war “settled in one day.“
🚨 Trump when asked on if he wants Ukraine or Russia to win the war: “I want everybody to stop dying. Russians and Ukrainians… and I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” pic.twitter.com/44FEth326z
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 11, 2023
Rape accuser
Trump insisted the sexual assault accusations against him by E. Jean Carroll (bankrolled by anti-Trump billionaire Reid Hoffman and convinced to sue by George Conway) was a political stunt ahead of the 2024 election.
“Because what’s happening is they’re doing this for election interference,” said Trump. When asked if he thinks it will hurt his chances with female voters, Trump replied: “No, I don’t think so because the whole thing, just so you understand. Ready? I never met this woman. I never saw this woman.”
Former President Trump responds to the jury verdict in the E. Jean Carroll case and the alleged “hanky panky” that occurred in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room:
“I don’t know her. I never met her. I have no idea who she is…” pic.twitter.com/kU5vSW2ua4
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 11, 2023
A dog (or cat) named Vagina?
To illustrate how crazy Carroll is, Trump said she named her dog, or cat, vagina.
Trump on E. Jean Carroll: “Her dog or her cat was named Vagina” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/hrZOLQKqeB
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) May 11, 2023
Inflation
When asked what he would do to bring down rising costs, Trump replied: “Drill baby, drill.”
Trump asked about how to curb inflation and record high costs of living…
His response: “Drill baby drill”
“We had more liquid gold under our feet than any other nation… and these stupid fools ended it.” pic.twitter.com/47RzWnpVJI
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 11, 2023
Nasty Person
“You are a nasty person. I’ll tell you,” Trump said to Collins following a tense exchange.
“Can I Talk?” – Crowd Goes Wild After Trump Calls CNN Host a ‘Nasty Person’
Trump: “Are you ready? Can I talk?”
Kaitlan Collins: “Yeah, what’s the answer?”
Trump: “Do you mind?”
Collins: “I would like you to answer the question.”
Trump: “Okay, it’s very simple to answer.”… pic.twitter.com/oRlY2rvi6V
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) May 11, 2023
CNN‘s Jake Tapper and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were absolutely livid over the whole thing.
CNN talking heads VERY triggered over Trump tonight. pic.twitter.com/W7AAku8AyQ
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 11, 2023
This falls squarely on CNN. Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen. Instead they put a sexual abuse victim in harm’s way for views. This was a choice to platform lies about the election & Jan 6th w/ no plan but to have their moderator interrupted without consequence.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023
Meanwhile, the post-mortem focus group really put the cherry on top.
CNN: Why won’t Trump stop talking about 2020 and not 2024?
Voter: Well the first question you asked him was about 2020 pic.twitter.com/Sy80LgwkG5
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) May 11, 2023
And Rep. Byron Donalds mopped the floor with CNN talking heads.
The same network that claimed Trump was a Russian spy is the same network that said tonight that Trump wants to “hand over Ukraine to Russia.”
This is irresponsible, and I’m glad I could correct the record. pic.twitter.com/UpVis0hJdE
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) May 11, 2023
Lastly, we encourage you to read this from Breitbart‘s John Nolte regarding CNN‘s massive blunder by holding the event in the first place. It’s great.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 05/11/2023 – 10:20
