OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Liberals were furious with the first Town Hall event of the Republican primary season because former President Donald Trump pushed all of their buttons.
The event was held on Wednesday on CNN and was hosted by anchor Kaitlan Collins, who got into some heated confrontations with the former president.
But it was New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ABC talk show host Joe Behar of “The View” who led the whine parade.
“There is simply no way CNN can feign ignorance about the fact that they set up a sexual assault victim to be targeted and attacked on national television a day after the verdict. People were sounding the alarm about this exact scenario. They let it happen anyway without a plan,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said.
There is simply no way CNN can feign ignorance about the fact that they set up a sexual assault victim to be targeted and attacked on national television a day after the verdict.
People were sounding the alarm about this exact scenario. They let it happen anyway without a plan.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023
“This, the choice to platform election disinformation, lies about January 6th, totally unchecked and reckless claims about abortion… they need to take ownership of what just happened. This cannot be normalized. It’s dangerous,” she said.
This, the choice to platform election disinformation, lies about January 6th, totally unchecked and reckless claims about abortion… they need to take ownership of what just happened.
This cannot be normalized. It’s dangerous.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023
But Joy Behar absolutely went insane live tweeting the entire time.
“The Cnn thing is a joke. The audience is stacked with his cult. Kaitlin is good, but it’s impossible to deal with this pathological liar,” she said to start the night.
The Cnn thing is a joke. The audience is stacked with his cult. Kaitlin is good, but it’s impossible to deal with this pathological liar.
— Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) May 11, 2023
“CNN should be embarrassed by this audience. They are enthralled with him and that emboldens him. It’s like encouraging a toddler to behave badly. #Cult,” she said.
CNN should be embarrassed by this audience. They are enthralled with him and that emboldens him. It’s like encouraging a toddler to behave badly. #Cult
— Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) May 11, 2023
“This is more like one of his rallies where the sycophants bow down to their cult leader. #cult,” she said in another tweet.
“Are these questioners just a bunch of plants? I mean, not one critical questioner? All are in love with this fool?” the host said.
Are these questioners just a bunch of plants? I mean, not one critical questioner? All are in love with this fool?
— Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) May 11, 2023
“Pathetic all around. Thank you, CNN for nothing. Good night,” she said to end her screed.
Pathetic all around. Thank you, CNN for nothing. Good night.
— Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) May 11, 2023
Lincoln Project founder Rick Wilson may have been the most unhinged.
“Whatever the f**k they thought they were going to get out of this, they instead have set a match to democracy once again,” he said in a profanity laced video shared to Twitter.
“You are letting an insane person stand there and make people giggle and laugh when he jokes about rape, make people giggle and laugh when he jokes about abortion. When he calls an African-American police officer a thug,” he said.
“This insanity should be pulled off the f**king air, Chris Licht, you should be ashamed of yourself. This is astoundingly bad for the brand of CNN, it’s astoundingly bad for the country, and it’s astoundingly bad, honestly folks, for every other Republican candidate in the primaries,” he said before admitting that it was likely Trump was going to get the Republican nomination
“Wrap that sh*t up, it’s done. You saw this tonight, you know you can’t beat him on the stage,” he said to Republican politicians who may want to take on the former president.
“Everybody else? Oars up, time to go to work, because he’s going to be the nominee,” he said.
“This s**t is un-f**king-believable, I’ve never seen anything like it. It is a disaster of the highest f**king degree,” he said.
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE.
I have words. pic.twitter.com/X89gN1LAZf
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) May 11, 2023
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough was also beside himself when he spoke about it on his “Morning Joe” show on MSNBC.
He said that the town hall “was just disgraceful on every level,”
“The most shocking part” he said was that the audience was loving it.
“What I saw last night was as chilling as anything I’ve seen on television since January the 6th,” he said.
CNN's town hall with Trump "was just disgraceful on every level," @JoeNBC says.
"The most shocking part" was seeing an audience "lapping it up."
"What I saw last night was as chilling as anything I've seen on television since January the 6th." pic.twitter.com/StpTk1TtUU
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 11, 2023
But CNN defended itself for airing the town hall while praising Collins.
“Tonight Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair and revealing questions,” a spokesperson said. “And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner.”
“That is CNN’s role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account,” they said.
